Getty Head coach Mike McCarthy of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Dallas Cowboys are a potential landing spot for a recently released quarterback.
As reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday, February 27, the Washington Commanders released quarterback Carson Wentz. According to Brian Linder of Penn Live in a list of potential landing spots for the veteran quarterback, he mentions the Cowboys as a possible destination.
Why Carson Wentz Makes Sense for Cowboys
Linder argues that Dallas’ need for a backup quarterback could make Wentz an option. The Cowboys’ current backup quarterback, Cooper Rush, will be a free agent and could be looking to cash in on a payday after going 4-1 in five starts with Dallas.
“Remember when folks used to argue whether Wentz or Dak Prescott was the better quarterback? It looks like Dak is the clear winner there, but he wasn’t exactly great last season either, and he has a history of injuries,” says Linder. “Dallas is a team trying to get to a Super Bowl, and its backup, Cooper Rush, is headed to free agency. After a couple of promising starts in place of Prescott last season, Rush could be in line for a pay raise. That could put him out of the running for a return to Dallas.”
Linder further argues that due to Wentz’s declining performance and the fact that he’ll be looking to play on his fourth team in four seasons, the Cowboys could sign the 30-year-old quarterback to a “big-time discount.”
“Wentz on the other hand clearly has more tools than Rush, and the Cowboys know him well,” says Linder. “Plus, he figures to come at a big-time discount. Dallas has a lot of moves that it needs to make and some big decisions ahead in terms of who it will keep and who it is letting go, but Wentz could be an interesting addition.”
Why Cowboys Need an Experienced Backup QB
All of Linder’s points have valid reasoning. It also doesn’t help that Prescott has been frequently injured in recent years, missing at least one game in each of the past three seasons. Prescott not only missed five games last year, he missed 11 games during the 2020 season.
While Wentz has certainly fallen on hard times since emerging as an MVP candidate during the 2017 season, he would easily become Prescott’s best backup since he entered the league in 2016. While Wentz struggled as the Commanders’ starting quarterback — 11 touchdowns versus nine interceptions along with a 2-5 record — he’s not far removed from a 9-8 season with the Indianapolis Colts during the 2021 season. It was during that campaign that Wentz actually had one of his best seasons, throwing 27 touchdowns versus seven interceptions for a 94.6 quarterback rating.
Furthermore, Wentz has seven years of starting experience since he entered the league in 2016, starting 92 games over that span. Wentz’ 93 appearances since 2016 is actually the 10th-most among all quarterbacks in the league.
It also doesn’t hurt that Wentz has experience starting for the Cowboys’ two biggest division rivals in the Philadelphia Eagles and Commanders.
While there won’t be any shortage of free agency options at quarterback, Wentz could emerge as the most “interesting” option for the Cowboys.