Less than a year ago, the Indianapolis Colts traded a third-round pick in 2021 and a conditional second-round pick in 2022 that would eventually become a first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Carson Wentz. It appears as though Wentz's second NFL marriage is already falling apart, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.
With a 9-6 record heading into their final two games of the 2021 regular season, the Colts were near-locks to make the playoffs, needing only one win over the Las Vegas Raiders or the bottom-feeder Jacksonville Jaguars to punch their ticket to the postseason. Instead, largely due to a pair of bad performances by Wentz, the Colts lost both games and were eliminated.
The loss to the Jaguars Week 18 was particularly devastating, as Wentz completed 17 of 29 passes for 185 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT, though the numbers didn't adequately convey how ineffective he was. He also lost a fumble on a vintage "2020 Wentz" play in which he tried to throw a shovel pass instead of just eating a sack.
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If indeed the Colts release Wentz or trade him for some meager return, it will likely be viewed as some sort of shocking development. It shouldn't be. Wentz really couldn't have possibly hand-picked a better situation, as the Colts had a great offensive line, arguably the best running back in the NFL, a (modest) upgrade in wide receiver talent, a talented defense, and a head coach with whom he felt a special connection in Frank Reich. Off the field, Wentz said that the "culture and values" fit his vibes. And he still failed.
On paper, Wentz's stats in 2021 looked decent enough, as he threw 27 TDs vs. 7 INTs, but the eye test showed that he looked a lot like the "2019 version" of himself, with occasional "2020 version" awfulness sprinkled in. He made the occasional spectacular throw, but the moments of encouragement were overshadowed by his continued inability to make the "layup" throws.
Going forward, the Colts simply could not waste their talent on a quarterback like Wentz who has never been able — or perhaps willing — to correct some of his more obvious flaws as a quarterback. Credit the Eagles for identifying that Wentz was not the guy they once thought he was and making him somebody else's problem.
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