When the news broke that NFL star Carson Wentz had torn his ACL at the weekend, it was a huge blow for his team, the Philadelphia Eagles.
This year, he threw for 3,296 yards with 33 touchdowns against just seven interceptions and propelled the Eagles to the top of the league in scoring. He was having a huge season, and many sports commentators believe he was on track for MVP.
In an instant, all these hopes were dashed and fans are devastated. “Everyone is in mourning,” said AB sports co-owner Scott Polsen, as reported by Delaware Online. “I asked one guy how he was doing and he said, ‘I would be better if my quarterback was healthy.'”
“This has probably been our best season in 20 years,” another local businessman said. “And I’d say about half of those customers buying Eagles gear are buying items with Carson Wentz’s name on them.”
So how is Carson reacting? Well, whilst obviously disappointed, he is showing remarkable resolve and an unshakeable faith in his God.
NFC East Champs! So proud of the resiliency of this team. Such a special group of men.
And I greatly appreciate all the prayers! I know my God is a powerful one with a perfect plan. Time to just lean in to him and trust whatever the circumstances! #Proverbs3:5-6
— Carson Wentz (@cj_wentz) December 11, 2017
“I have a ton of faith in the Lord and in His plan, but at the end of the day it has still been a tough one,” Wentz said in a video posted to the Philadelphia Eagles Facebook page (watch below).
“I know the Lord is working through it. I know Jesus has a plan. He’s trying to grow me in something, teach me something, use me somehow, some way. This would just be a great testimony as I go forward.”
The star player continued to talk openly about his steadfast faith in the goodness of God, even through this tremendous blow to his career:
“Maybe not all of you out there are Christians. But I can say with a hundred 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. He knows what He is doing. I am going to surrender to that to Him and trust Him in that.”
Wentz then promised his fans that he would channel the frustration of this setback into his recovery efforts:
“I will come back stronger than ever. I will use this as motivation, and I will be attacking it this whole process as I recover,” he said in the video. “I will be with the team the whole way, I will be supporting them. I am going to be there to support and help in whatever way I can.”
Many of his fans seem to share that optimistic sentiment. “I know you can’t replace Carson Wentz, but this team is resilient,” Polsen said. “They have a lot of heart and hopefully that can carry us a little bit.”
“These are Eagles fans we’re talking about,” another fan told Delaware Online. “They come out to cheer on their team through the thick and thin.”
Others believe that the star quarterback’s injury may grant the opportunity for a few other members of the squad to shine in the coming games. “If they lost on Sunday, it might be a different story,” one fan said. “But this is a complete team and the rest of the games this year are winnable, so maybe that will give Nick Foles a chance to get his rhythm heading into the playoffs.”
#Respect
Let's not overlook how @cj_wentz got up and played for 3 more snaps after tearing his ACL and did not come off the field until after he threw 4th TD pass to put @Eagles ahead. https://t.co/fKVuLzNZyW— David J. Chao – ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) December 11, 2017
Praying for you @cj_wentz – blessings on your recovery. “Tough Times Dont last, tough people do”
— Kirk Cousins (@KirkCousins8) December 11, 2017
Finally, Carson thanked his supporters for the powerful outpouring of love, prayers and encouragement he has received in the wake of his injury.
“I just want to say thank you. The phone calls, the text messages, the emails, the tweets, it just means the world to me. It is so humbling to know how many people are praying for me, lifting me up and encouraging me. It means the world. I appreciate it. God bless all of you, and I promise, this will not stop me and I will come back stronger than ever.”
Fellow Christian NFL star, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson took to Twitter to express his support for Wentz.
“God has great things in store for you @CJ_Wentz,” Wilson captioned the video.
“Carson, you’ve been a beast all year, man,” he said. “Praying for you, rooting for you man. What God has for you, no man can stop. Just continue to work hard, bro. You’ll be back better than ever. Come back stronger, bro.”
“Appreciate that boss and I didn’t forget, that AO1 shirt is comin your way!” Carson replied.
Watch Wentz speak about how God is speaking to him through his injury below:
https://www.facebook.com/philadelphiaeagles/videos/1597348953636205/?hc_ref=ARS9s927GCzXLZzRpVD3ZBLSO6-_tAu32sWY3tOaJDCc1bvS7bW5yLZEyXO3JE4adzM