Getty Carson Wentz, when he was quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts.
Paying attention to all the drama surrounding Carson Wentz’s first year in Indianapolis has turned into a full-time job. Following a report that the Colts were looking to move on from Wentz, several experts have chimed in on what’s next for the one-time franchise quarterback. Could he be off to an NFC East rival?
Wentz has been loosely linked to the Washington Commanders in a trade scenario. He did perform a modern-day miracle against them in 2017 when he inexplicably escaped pressure and tossed a touchdown. Washington Wire recently explored the possibilities of Wentz landing in D.C. and oddsmakers have the Commanders and Pittsburgh Steelers as two likely destinations if he and the Colts part ways.
But Wentz not returning to Indy is far from a foregone conclusion. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport jumped on the “Pat McAfee Show” to share what he’s been hearing about that situation. There are a lot of signs pointing to Wentz staying put.
“I wouldn’t say 100-percent fact. The word from there is no decision has been made, but they are very much in the quarterback game,” Rapoport told McAfee. “So my sense is, just from reading the tea leaves, is if they can replace him with someone better, they will definitely look into it.”
Rapoport clarified his comments by looking at the quarterback landscape. There really isn’t much out there unless Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers formally requests trades. Outside of that, who else? Jimmy Garoppolo? He’s not too much of an upgrade over Wentz.
Added Rapoport: “I would imagine if you put Jimmy G and Carson Wentz side by side, they would probably look pretty similar.”
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Wentz’s Leadership Once Again Under Fire
When things first started going sour in Philly, there were reports about Wentz’s personality being a problem. He was called stubborn and selfish by anonymous sources. Some of those have since been debunked, yet others remain part of his polarizing legacy in the City of Brotherly Love.
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington poured fuel on the fire when he relayed what he saw from the Colts’ sideline this season. Wentz wasn’t putting out a leadership “vibe.”
“I was at that Jaguars game. I was standing on the sideline that whole time watching Carson Wentz. The vibe wasn’t there, man,” Darlington said. “I’m not trying to act like I’m part of the team or in the organization, but my eyes were open.”
Colts More Likely to Keep the Band Together
Former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum believes the Colts should keep Wentz in 2022. For starters, there aren’t that many better options available on the open market; and Indianapolis doesn’t have a first-round pick in 2022 since they traded it to Philadelphia.
According to Tannenbaum, the smarter move would be to run it back with Wentz and take a flier on a quarterback in the middle rounds. Remember, Indianapolis was one win away from qualifying for the postseason despite all Wentz’s faults.
“It’s not ideal but there’s about 20 really good quarterbacks on the planet and when you look at it, the draft’s not ideal,” Tannenbaum told ESPN, via NJ Advance Media. “But it’s the old axiom, guys: Let’s win for today and develop for tomorrow.”
