Getty Colts quarterback Carson Wentz.
Carson Wentz choked on the biggest stage. His Indianapolis Colts fell 26-11 to a two-win (at the time) Jacksonville Jaguars team and missed the postseason. The one-time franchise quarterback for the Eagles went 17-of-29 for 185 yards with one garbage-time touchdown.
He threw one interception – and a second one was called back – while losing a fumble. Wentz also reverted to his bad habits from Philly by taking unnecessary sacks and trying to play hero ball. Too many shovel passes and side-armed pitches.
“I think he’s our quarterback and I think we’re all going to learn and grow from this year,” Colts head coach Frank Reich said, via CBS Sports. “A lot of bright moments for Carson. I’m not going to go deep into the individual assessment.”
Wentz was bad and Twitter let him know about it. Some Indianapolis media outlets were calling for his ouster after just one season. The Colts regressed under Wentz going from an 11-5 wild-card team in 2020 to a 9-8 non-playoff team in 2021.
Carson Wentz, to himself: It’s just the Jags; take care of the football & let the game come to you.
Carson Wentz’s brain:
In the end, Carson Wentz and the Colts are not in the playoffs. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are in.
And Philadelphia will still have 3 first-round picks. Bonkers.
This meltdown from Carson Wentz is his Sistine Chapel.
It’s a masterpiece. Simply flawless.
The Colts gave the Eagles a first round pick for Carson Wentz.
The Eagles are in the playoffs.
The Colts aren’t.
The Colts need to do whatever they can to ensure Carson Wentz is not their QB next season.
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Indy Growing Tired of Wentz’s Act?
It’s interesting that Reich said, “I think he’s our quarterback,” when assessing Wentz. The question prompting that response asked if Wentz was the Colts’ long-term answer. Kind of a cryptic reply, no? Either way, the Wentz debate is sure to rage all offseason.
A perfect QBR is 100.
An average QBR is 50.
In a play-in game against the worst team in football, Carson Wentz posted a QBR of 4.4.
Nat Newell of the Indianapolis Star penned a piece detailing what it would take to get rid of Wentz’s contract. Cutting Wentz would cost the Colts $15 million in dead cap space, per OverTheCap. They could try to trade him but that would likely require them to give up a draft pick. No team is going to take on his contract in a direct swap.
Newell wrote: “Again, don’t expect the Colts to move on from Wentz but his play at the end of the season has the team asking questions about the most important position in sports for the fifth consecutive season.”
2022 Draft Order: Eagles Own 3 First-Rounders
Whatever happens to Wentz moving forward is none of the Eagles’ concern. General manager Howie Roseman appears to have won that blockbuster trade. Philadelphia acquired a conditional second-rounder in the deal which officially converted to a first-rounder in 2022. The Eagles will own the 16th overall pick in the draft by virtue of the Colts missing the playoffs.
Eagles 2021 QB Cap charges.
Gardner Minshew: $850,000
Jalen Hurts: $1.3 million
Carson Wentz: $34 million.
They also get the 15th overall pick (via Miami Dolphins) and the 19th overall selection (their own pick). In addition to the first-rounder, the Eagles own picks in the second, third and fourth rounds, along with three selections in the fifth round. And one pick (via Indianapolis for Matt Pryor) in the sixth round. We already took a look at some first-round talent that might be on the board. The Eagles’ flexibility in the draft all started with trading Wentz on February 18, 2021.
“A lot of honest conversations with him and his representative about where he was and the feeling that maybe it was best to kind of move on. We told him that it would have to work out for both sides. I think that’s what the trade is with Indy,” Roseman told reporters on March 18. “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.”
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 👀
