Doug Pederson’s super-secret plan to sort out the Eagles quarterback situation has finally begun to take shape – and it looks like the final two weeks of preparation for the NFL opener on Sept. 6 will remain shrouded in a bit of mystery.

Who is going to be the opening day starter – Nick Foles or Carson Wentz? It’s the No. 1 guessing game across the NFL.

And Pederson seems to like the idea of keeping it that way.

“I think it doesn’t hurt to not put it out there who is going to start right away,” he said on Sunday after announcing that Wentz and Foles would split the first team snaps on offense – 50-50.

Of course, the actual game-ready status of Wentz and Foles is much different. Foles, with a mild right shoulder sprain, could play if the opener were tomorrow. Wentz, still rehabbing his surgically repaired left knee, has not yet been cleared by doctors for full contact on the football field. So he’s not game-ready.

Pederson is trying to get them both prepared at the same time for the Atlanta Falcons defense. He was asked how difficult that can be. Here was his answer:

“When we look at our schedule and look at who we’re playing early in the season, we look at scheme, defensively, from an offensive perspective and conceptually what we feel are going to be plays that we can execute,” he said.
“I don’t worry about the quarterback position as much at this time, as much as just understanding the defense that we’re going to see.”

Now, here’s the reality: Wentz runs well, escapes the rush easily. Foles does not. Foles piloted the run-pass option to perfection late last season, all the way to a Super Bowl title. Wentz has very little experience in that offensive scheme. Wentz has a much stronger, more accurate arm.

And both quarterbacks are still waiting for three injured wide receivers to become full-time practice contributors: starting wide out Alshon Jeffery, starting slot receiver Nelson Agholor and reserve Mack Hollins.