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When Carson Wentz was with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, Washington fans were discouraged after seeing Wentz shake off defenders, duck and sling the ball deep downfield for touchdowns. The Eagles had their man for the next decade, and the rest of the division was in trouble.
Now, here we are in 2022, and Wentz could be heading for his third team in three years. Inconceivable, right?
The fall of Carson Wentz from MVP finalist in 2017 to benched in 2020 — and later traded — is a strange one. Last offseason, Wentz was sent to the Indianapolis Colts for first- and third-round draft picks.
Wentz played well early in 2021, and his numbers were outstanding. He passed for 3,563 yards with 27 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. However, Wentz’s play late in the season was a significant factor in why the Colts missed the playoffs, and general manager Chris Ballard was not pleased with his quarterback.
“Sitting here today, I won’t make a comment on who’s going to be here next year and who’s not going to be here next year,” Ballard said recently via Nate Atkins of the Indianapolis Star. “That’s not fair to any player. I thought Carson did some good things, and there’s a lot of things he needs to do better. Our passing game has to be better.”
Surely, the Colts wouldn’t trade or release Wentz after a disappointing ending to a solid season. Well, chatter around the NFL leads many to believe Wentz could be on the way out.
The Washington Commanders need a quarterback, and Wentz will be affordable. Would Washington consider making a move for Wentz after likely striking out on bigger targets such as Russell Wilson?
This is a complicated question. Most everyone in Washington is gone that remembers the Wentz from 2017 and 2018. Here’s a sample of Wentz’s magic vs. Washington from that period.
Carson Wentz… my god…. the #Redskins NEED to finish this play!!! Touchdown to Nelson Agholor. #PHIvsWAS pic.twitter.com/MadVT2Y1oJ
— Samuel Gold (@SamuelRGold) September 10, 2017
Wentz isn’t that same player anymore. Yes, there are flashes, but injuries have taken a toll on Wentz, and he doesn’t appear to be as confident as a player as he was in the early years of his career, which began in 2016.
No one knows what the Colts will do at the quarterback position. As Washington fans know, it’s hard to find a capable NFL passer. Wentz is certainly a capable player who would provide an upgrade over the 2021 options. And, the Commanders will do their homework on every potential option — including Wentz.
Ultimately, I don’t see a match here. I’m still hesitant to believe the Colts will part ways with a player they traded two high picks for just one year ago. Ballard traded for Wentz because head coach Frank Reich’s work with the quarterback early in his career. Now, perhaps Indianapolis drafts a quarterback high in the 2022 NFL draft and decides to move on from Wentz next year.
As for the Commanders, perhaps the free-agent route paired with a rookie may be the best option if they can’t land one of the top targets.