Wentz: 'I Will Come Back Stronger Than Ever' From Torn ACL
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz says he "will come back stronger than ever" from a torn ACL he suffered in Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson announced that the franchise quarterback will miss the rest of the season.
Related: Eagles Fans Share Thoughts On Bittersweet Victory Over Rams
"Each one of these guys [that we've lost] is tough to replace," Pederson said on Monday. "But you know what, the reason we went out and got Nick Foles is for reasons like this, for situations like this. I'm excited for Nick, obviously. I hate it for Carson Wentz. I hate it for the season that he's been having, but at the same time, it's been the next man up mentality and that's how we approach it this week."
Wentz injured his left knee after being tackled in the end zone near the end of the third quarter. You can watch the play HERE.
Pederson says it appears on tape that the injury occurred "before the contact."
Amazingly, and a display of just how tough Wentz is, the 24-year-old QB threw a touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery three plays after tearing his ACL. The touchdown pass was his 33rd of the season, which broke Sonny Jurgensen's Eagles single-season franchise record.
Wentz was among the favorites to win this year's NFL MVP award. He has 3,296 yards passing, 33 touchdowns and 7 interceptions on the season.
In a video posted to Twitter on Monday evening, Wentz said he will use this injury as motivation to return better than ever.
"I can promise to everybody, all my fans out there in the Philly area, in the North Dakota area, all across this country, this will not stop me. Going forward, I will come back stronger than ever. I will use this as motivation. I will be attacking it, this whole process, as I recover," said Wentz.
Wentz mentioned his faith in the video, saying that "Jesus has a plan through it" for him.
"Maybe not all of you out there are Christian or followers of Jesus, but I can say with 100 percent confidence as a follower of Jesus, I have the utmost confidence in his plan. His plan is perfect. If we got everything we wanted in life, it would be a disaster. I know Jesus is up there looking down and he knows what he's doing," said Wentz.
Nick Foles replaced Wentz, completing 6 of 10 passes for 42 yards and no turnovers, leading the Eagles to a big 43-35 victory over the Rams. The win improved the Eagles to 11-2 and clinched an NFC East title.
Related: Nick Foles: 'I'm Absolutely Ready, That's Why I'm Here'
The Eagles will turn to Foles for the rest of the season. Foles was the QB of the team's last playoff game on Jan. 4, 2014 at the Linc. The Eagles lost on a last-second field goal to -- ironically -- Darren Sproles, Malcolm Jenkins, and the New Orleans Saints.
"I will be with the team along the way, I will be supporting them. I have the utmost confidence in Nick and the coaching staff and everybody else that they'll step up. We've been plagued with injuries all year long and it's just been the next man up mentality," said Wentz.
