Getty Quarterback Carson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was “fired up” to add Carson Wentz to his well-constructed roster. While his personality may not have meshed with some Eagles players, the 28-year-old quarterback has wasted no time in getting to know his new teammates.
Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II started the fun on Thursday when he joked that he was calling Wentz and “he better pick up.” Well, the former second overall pick answered the phone and Moore snapped a memorable Facetime picture of s smiling Wentz for posterity. Fellow receiver Zach Pascal added that the team needed to get Wentz on a “group Facetime chat.”
i just got off the phone with the new boy on the block. get a horse ready for him!🤠
The next question revolved around what number the one-time Eagles franchise quarterback might wear in Indianapolis. Michael Pittman Jr. — the talented receiver the Eagles passed on in last year’s draft — currently owns Wentz’s preferred number 11 jersey. Maybe the two will work something out.
It seems as if every single Colts player was excited about the arrival of their new leader. Rookie running back Jonathan Taylor welcomed Wentz home, while star linebacker Darius Leonard said he couldn’t wait “to see what the future holds.” Meanwhile, Colts legend Reggie Wayne — a six-time Pro Bowler and Hall of Fame candidate — invited Wentz down to South Florida so the two could run a few snow-free routes. Wayne retired from football in 2016.
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Ex-NFL Quarterback Hypes Up Indy Fit
ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky has grown a strong reputation for correctly analyzing quarterbacks and their flaws. On Friday, the eight-year NFL veteran discussed the difference between fit and scheme and how it all relates to a player’s ability to excel. He sees the Wentz trade as a “home-run fit in Indy.”
“It should never be about, does the player fit? It should be about, can the player excel,” Orlovsky said. “Carson Wentz can excel in Indy. And then fit, we often talk about fit with scheme. You always start with people, does he fit with the people and do the people fit with him? And then go to the football aspect of it. And then the second thing would be this, there’s a big, big difference between being a bad player and a player playing bad. Carson Wentz played bad last year. He’s not a bad player. Again, I think it’s home-run fit in Indy for both the player and the team.”
The remarks weren’t surprising from Orlovsky who has been the president and founding member of the Carson Wentz Fan Club for quite some time. Following the trade’s announcement, Orlovsky declared that Wentz was firmly in the MVP conversation and put his total faith in Frank Reich ironing out all his 2020 problems.
Wentz Lost Faith in Eagles’ ‘Decision-Making’
The divorce between Wentz and the Eagles may have had as much to do with the quarterback wanting to move on as it did with the franchise’s infatuation with Jalen Hurts. Maybe one day Wentz will reveal what went wrong in Philly. For now, fans are left to digest random reports and rumors.
Wish u the best big time @cj_wentz appreciate ya! Enjoy our battles in practice✊🏽
According to The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, Wentz had simply “lost faith” in Eagles general manager Howie Roseman. So the 28-year-old gunslinger engineered his way out of town using the “muscle” of his hefty contract as leverage.
Even after Pederson was fired last month, the quarterback preferred to play elsewhere, sources familiar with Wentz’s thinking said. While it could be stated that he had lost trust in Roseman, a more accurate assessment, per one source, was that he had “lost faith in his decision-making.”
The same, to an extent, could be said of Wentz’s assessment of Jeffrey Lurie, whose belief in his longtime general manager remains steadfast. The Eagles’ owner, after all, was on board when Roseman made the unprecedented decision to draft Hurts — both men too wrapped up in the benefits without seeing the potential risks.
While it could be stated that Carson Wentz lost trust in Howie Roseman, a more accurate assessment, per one source, was that he had “lost faith in his decision-making.”
My column on the trade and one of the darkest days for the #Eagles GM:
It marks a far cry from the words exiting Roseman’s lips on Jan. 4 in regards to Wentz. All water under the bridge now.
“In terms of Carson, I don’t think it’s a secret that we moved up for him because of what we thought about him as a person, as a player,” Roseman told reporters at the time. “We gave him that extension because of the same things. And so, when you have players like that, they are like fingers on your hand. You can’t even imagine that they are not part of you; that they are not here. That’s how we feel about Carson.”
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