Pederson 'Is Out' of Excuses for Handling Injuries Poorly

PHILADELPHIA (973espn.com) - One of the themes of the Philadelphia Eagles offensive struggles this season has been the spin that the team has continued to shoot itself in the foot with a lack of execution.

That carried over onto the podium on Friday as Doug Pederson stammered through a contentious press conference chock full on contradictions in which Carson Wentz's back problem was described as a "stress injury" which has "evolved" and could take three months to heal.

That same quarterback, however, is going to be listed as questionable for Sunday's game in Los Angeles despite missing practice all week and according to Pederson will make the trip out to the left coast meaning the balky back will enjoy the rigors of a five-hour plane ride.

There's real competitive advantage. There's unneeded gamesmanship and then there is arrogance. You can be the judge of where that position falls especially when Pederson stormed off the stage with an “Alright, I’m out. I’m out.”

Just understand Sean McVay, Wade Phillps and the Rams will be game-planning with Nick Foles in mind even if the Eagles shielded both signal callers from media scrutiny this week, a no-no in the league's eyes by the way.

Furthermore, the players in the Eagles locker talked about Foles like he was the starter this week because well, he is the starter this week.

Already NFL sources have told 973espn.com that Wentz is dealing with a fracture of the vertebrae and it's inconceivable that the Eagles would want their franchise QB playing through anything other than a transverse process fracture when it comes to injuries in that anatomical region.

And that's the one thing Pederson did rule out on Friday so common sense says Wentz is suiting up against the Rams.

"The information is that it requires -- No. 1, no surgery, which is a positive," Pederson said when asked about this injury versus his own back fracture as a player in Green Bay. "Mine didn't need surgery, either, but mine was completely different. Mine was a transverse process that was broke off with some other damage back there, so two different injuries."

The rest of this regular season is now Foles' yet for some reason Pederson felt the obfuscation route was again the way to go when being asked relevant questions about Wentz's status, reminding us that he's not a doctor nor does he play one on TV.

Either where the rest of us, of course, yet we could all cobble together that the player who is going to get $30 million per year on his upcoming extension isn't going out there on Sunday after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back earlier in the week.

Heck, I'll forge the doctor's note for Carson and also recommend a good podiatrist for Pederson because the coach is going to need one after aiming that firearm two inches from the size 14s.

"I'm out."

-John McMullen covers the Eagles and the NFL for 973espn.com. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen