Doug Pederson: 'Carson is the quarterback going forward'

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - Carson Wentz is the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback going forward, coach Doug Pederson announced Tuesday.

The postseason success of Nick Foles, and his clutch performance down the stretch to help Philadelphia reach the playoffs as a No. 6 seed, previously created a debate among fans and media. There is no quarterback controversy within the organization, however. Coach Doug Pederson reiterated several times before Tuesday that Wentz is the starter when he's healthy.

The Eagles must decide by mid-February if they want to exercise a $20 million option to keep Foles for 2019. But Foles could decline it and pay back $2 million to become a free agent. Philadelphia could put a franchise tag on Foles, though $23-25 million is a hefty price for a backup.

"The starter thing, leading a team, impacting a locker room, that's why we play the game," Foles said Monday. "Everything is open. I love this city. I love this locker room. It's special. We'll see."

It's possible the Eagles could use the franchise or transition tag to trade Foles rather than allow him to walk away for only a compensation pick. Foles isn't a me-first guy and it's not unreasonable to think he would work something out that's beneficial to both sides.

"Having the option to be a free agent is extremely important," he said. "Technically, I'm really not under contract right now and that's something we'll discuss in the future. It's a unique situation, it's a good situation for this team to have. ... I have a great relationship with this team and that's genuine. Ultimately, we'll make the best decision for both sides and it'll work out."

Wentz missed the first two games recovering from knee surgery that forced him to watch from the sideline last season as Foles led Philadelphia to its first NFL title since 1960. He started 11 games before a back injury ended his season again. Wentz finished third in NFL MVP voting last season and had career-highs in passer rating and completion percentage this season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.