Getty Carson Wentz #11 of the Washington Commanders (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Carson Wentz has been labeled soft in previous stops, so perhaps a run cycle through the Gruden Grinder will toughen him up. The one-time franchise quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles has been “throwing and studying film” with Jon Gruden, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
That’s right. The same Jon Gruden who stepped down as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders following reports that he sent “homophobic and misogynistic emails” (via the New York Times) to a former NFL executive over a 10-year period. He wasn’t the subject of the investigation, instead Gruden got caught in the crossfire of a league-wide probe into the state of the Washington Commanders franchise.
Free-agent QB Carson Wentz has been spending time in Tampa, throwing and studying film with former NFL head coach Jon Gruden. Wentz wants and intends to play this season, and is awaiting the right situation.
Back to Wentz. The 30-year-old quarterback remains a free agent after Washington released him in February. Wentz “wants and intends to play” this season, according to Schefter, as he waits for the “right situation.” Several NFC rivals have been rumored to be in the mix for his services, including the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers, but no one has put pen to paper.
Wentz went 2-5 as the starter in Washington last season while throwing for 1,755 yards with 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He was benched twice in 2022: first for veteran Taylor Heinicke, then for rookie Sam Howell.
Wentz ‘Received Interest’ From Teams in March: Report
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported back in March that Wentz had “received interest” from teams but the quarterback wanted to wait longer into the offseason before making a decision. He was open to being either a starter or a backup, per Fowler.
The latter seems to be his only option after failed experiments with three different franchises. More alarmingly, there were reports criticizing Wentz for being a bad teammate and unwilling leader at each stop.
Updated free agent QB Carson Wentz on @SportsCenter…He’s been working out in L.A. in preparation for the season, he’s received interest from teams and he might wait longer into the offseason to see what develops. But he’s open to starter or backup roles.
Wentz has never thrown anyone under the bus publicly, making sure to leave on cordial terms despite the rumors. He shared a graceful farewell message on Instagram after Washington cut him loose in February.
He wrote: “Hasn’t gone quite the way I envisioned, but I’m trusting God along the way and am driven to keep going and striving to be the best I can be while glorifying God in the process! Excited for wherever God plants us next.”
Eagles Forever Thankful for Super Bowl Run
Things may have gotten a tad messy at the end, but the Eagles’ organization doesn’t win Super Bowl LII without Carson Wentz’s 2017 MVP campaign. Let’s not forget that fact. Team owner Jeffrey Lurie went out of his way to show his appreciation for Wentz after the Eagles traded him to Indianapolis in 2021.
“Carson, when we drafted Carson in 2016, we dreamed of a moment where he’d play like an MVP and help us win a championship. He did both those things,” Lurie told reporters. “Very appreciative of his contributions to us. Obviously with the trade we made, we felt like it was in the best interest of both parties. We wish him and his family the best in Indianapolis.”
The Colts-Eagles trade summary:
Colts received: Carson Wentz
Eagles received: Top-20 pick, 3rd rd pick, $103M in cap relief
Eagles made the playoffs, the Colts did not 👀
General manager Howie Roseman added: “It’s a win-win trade: for them with the player they’re getting, and for us, the opportunity to not only get the picks but really to reset us going forward from a cap perspective.”