It seems like a lifetime has occurred — at least in NFL terms — since Carson Wentz last played for the Eagles. A lot has happened since his trade request was granted and Eagles general manager Howie Roseman dealt his franchise quarterback to the Indianapolis Colts in 2021.

I caught up with Wentz on Thursday ahead of the Super Bowl for the first time in four years. Here’s what he said about his time in Philly, his new role with the Kansas City Chiefs, and more.

This Q&A has been edited for clarity and length.

— Q: How do you view your career since leaving Philly?

— A: It’s been wild. It’s been a whirlwind. You see a lot; you experience a lot. … It’s all part of the journey. It’s not necessarily how I would have envisioned it, how I wanted all those things. But still playing the game I love in a different role right now, but having fun doing it nonetheless.

— Q: What did you learn most about yourself?

— A: I think I’ve just grown up as a man. We got three kids now. I got a wife. We’ve been married six years. We’ve bounced around. I’ve learned my wife and my family is resilient, and they’re just down for whatever, and we’ve kind of embraced the adventure, so to speak, living — I don’t know how many different places we’ve lived in the 6 1/2 years I’ve been married with my wife now — but I’ve learned just what to value and where to place my value in terms of my faith and my family and all those things.

I’ve just been more confident in who I am as a person ... and my ability to play and all those things, that’s never wavered. Yeah, always been confident in that. But this is where I’m at right now, and I’m enjoying it.

— Q: What have you learned from Andy Reid?

— A: A lot — from just X’s and O’s, honestly, just scheme and all that stuff, to just playing loose, playing free, just how Patrick [Mahomes] kind of does every time he’s out on that field. The way he runs the organization is impressive. Honestly, he does an amazing job. Doesn’t have to say a lot, but when he speaks, it carries a lot of weight, and guys respect the heck out of him.

I’ve always respected him from afar, but just now getting to work with him personally, it’s been a lot of fun, and I’ve soaked up a lot ... over the year.

— Q: Could you be the next Sam Darnold or Baker Mayfield, who just needed to be in the right situation to succeed?

— A: I’ve always been confident in my abilities, and so that’s the same thing. I’m not an idiot. I see what’s going on around the league. I see guys like Sam, Baker and other people doing these things, and hats off to them. But it doesn’t surprise me either. Those guys came in the league super talented, and you get the right fit, and they take off.

And so, yeah, again, I’m confident in my abilities, and we’ll kind of see how everything unfolds. But I want to enjoy the heck out of this one.

— Q: The best “story” possible from a reporter’s perspective is you coming off the bench and leading the Chiefs to victory over the Eagles. Do you have to envision that moment, too, to be prepared to play?

— A: For sure, I go in every week envisioning every single play and envision positive things happening, all those things. Now, obviously, it’s a much bigger stage this week.

But at the end of the day as a backup — you’ll see me doing sprints all game on the side like I’m always trying to stay ready, trying to stay locked in, because it is a weird experience being a backup, going from being a starter to a backup. You’re one play away, and you never really know. By the grace of God, Pat has been healthy all year for the most part, except for really a couple plays, and so I’ll be ready.

— Q: How much did all the injuries in Philly affect you?

— A: I don’t want to make excuses or any of those things. I don’t think they ultimately affected my performance down the stretch, but it obviously can mess up a groove, your flow, all those things, especially 2017, the knee. ... So it can definitely affect you. I don’t like making excuses. But yeah, for a while taking those beatings between the actual injuries to just beatings, just waking up Mondays.

The last two years, I would love to be competing, love to be able to be playing, but it is a blessing in disguise at my age to not get as much [beatings] and see what the future holds. But I do feel healthy, and [I’m] grateful for that.

— Q: Will you connect with Jalen Hurts before the game?

— A: I’m sure we’ll see each other and say, ‘What up?’ That’s the thing I’ve been asked all week. That year was weird, but it was the COVID year. So like even just getting to know guys, not just Jalen, but other rookies, other rookie receivers — there was no ability to kind of get to know guys and build a relationship off the field. And I’m not going to say that’s why we didn’t have a good season on the field, but it just made everything weird and not as fun and not as enjoyable. So it was a tough year for everybody. I understand for all those other reasons. But I think from just like a team-building standpoint, it’s hard to get to know guys off the field because you have to be careful what you’re doing everywhere.

— Q: Did drafting Hurts in the second round affect you?

— A: I showed up ready to work. That is what it is. Did it surprise me? Absolutely. But it is what it is. I thought Jalen showed up and worked hard. I was impressed with him from the start. I thought he threw the ball well, picked up the offense pretty quick. So I don’t think his success necessarily surprises me.

Would I have loved to have been there and throughout my career? Without a doubt. Everybody gets drafted and wants to ride out and play and have all the success. But it’s the hand we’ve been dealt, and I’ve tried to make the most of it.

— Q: Is there one thing you would change about Philly?

— A: Probably nothing. End of the day, do I wish things went differently? Without a doubt. But I feel like I gave everything I had. Every time I went on that field, I laid it all out there, did the best I could. Did I make mistakes? Yes. Did we win games and I make plays? Yes. Like it was the good, bad, the ugly. But I don’t think there’s anything I’d of changed in that regard.

There are some moments I learned from over the years, just with just how to be a leader and things that maybe I would have done differently just early on. But like, when it comes to my performance, how I worked, how I trained and prepared, I did everything I could.

©2025 The Philadelphia Inquirer. Visit inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.