By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor 
This news may come as a shock to many, but the Eagles have officially exercised Carson Wentz’s fifth-year option.
Wentz is entering the fourth year of his deal in 2019 and he is set to make around $4 million. His fifth-year option would pay him more than $20 million.
The move will keep Wentz under contract with the Birds until the 2021 season begins, but an extension is still a possibility now and if one does not occur in 2019, it is almost guaranteed to happen in the 2020 offseason.
Roster Move: #Eagles have exercised QB Carson Wentz’s fifth-year option.#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/axzedktRCZ
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) April 29, 2019
The fifth-year option comes as a part of the deal that any rookie drafted in the first or second round signs. It gives the team an extra year of control, but drastically increases the salary of the player. Oftentimes, reaching an extension prior to the player playing on the fifth year of that deal lowers that salary cap numbers for that season.
Fellow Eagle Nelson Agholor will be playing the 2019 season on his fifth-year option and is set to be a free agent following that.
Picking up the option on Wentz gives the Eagles the opportunity to be the only team to continue to negotiate with Wentz through the 2020 season if no deal is reached prior to that.
A deal not being reached is highly unlikely, however, as Wentz is the unquestioned leader and future of the franchise, unless fifth-round pick Clayton Thorson turns out to be one of the greatest of all time.
Wentz is just 26 and already has a Pro Bowl, two NFC Offensive Player of the Week awards, an NFC offensive Player of the Month award and 10,694 yards and 72 touchdowns to his name. He will be entering his fourth year in the league, but he was on track to be the MVP in 2017 prior to his knee injury and was names the third-best player in the sport by players around the league in 2018.
