If all fails and Carson Wentz does not deliver the Washington Commanders back to prominence this season, the quarterback’s contract would allow the team to cut his salary before next season and possibly make a play for Baltimore Ravens superstar Lamar Jackson.
The Commanders have posted losing records over the last five seasons, and in an attempt to return to the postseason in 2022, the organization made the bold move of trading for Indianapolis Colts QB Carson Wentz. However, the transaction paled in comparison to other QB trades in the spring for the likes of Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson. A pair of signal callers that are far more of a guarantee to improve the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos in the years ahead.
While Wentz looked like he was on his way to being a perennial Pro Bowler with strong performances in the early years of his career, that potential never materialized, and now he is on his third team in three seasons after the Colts could no longer deal with his inconsistent play after one season.
Even though Wentz had a good performance in the Commanders’ Week 1 win over Jacksonville, they have lost back-to-back games and there are some thinking the version of Wentz in Washington isn’t much different than what Colts and Eagles fans saw the previous two seasons. However, unlike most contracts for key players, the Commanders won’t be weighed down by their QB’s contract in future seasons if they feel the need to send him packing next year.
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On Friday, The Athletic’s Commanders beat writer Ben Standig wrote about Wentz and also so spoke with the organization’s former salary cap analyst J.J. Halsell. And the cap expert explained that Wentz’s contract is one of the few “great” deals in the sport for a player that may underperform this season.
“If it doesn’t work out after this year, you cut him and save $26 million in the cap. A lot of teams would love to be in that situation where you can cut a guy and not have to worry about dead money.”
J.J. Halsell on Wentz’s contract
How the Washington Commanders releasing Carson Wentz could open the door to a Lamar Jackson pursuit
For the uninitiated, dead cap is pretty much a penalty a team incurs when a player is released before the completion of an agreed-upon contract. That penalty is money that takes up a percentage of a team’s cap space and can’t be used elsewhere. Hence why it’s referred to as dead. So, to be able to release Wentz and automatically have $26 million to spend is unheard of in most situations.
Obviously, the Commanders acquiring Lamar Jackson would very much be a pie-in-the-sky scenario, but would not be completely out of the question when that much money is available, and a player of that caliber is up for grabs.
Obviously, the Commanders would first have to swing a trade with the Ravens for Jackson. Since Baltimore still has the ability to franchise tag the superstar for two more seasons after this. If he and the Ravens can’t agree on a new deal, keeping a player on a team for another season when they are already unhappy with their pay is not good for anyone. And if the Commanders were willing to offer up a “Ricky Williams to the Saints” sort of draft capital trade package, the Ravens would have to listen.
With him in the fold, the Commanders would likely need to pony up a deal that would mirror the extensions Wilson, Watson, and Kyler Murray received that put them in the high $40 million range per season. In the Standig piece, it is also mentioned that Washington is only spending $212 million in active cash this season. Which is 21st in the league. Meaning they have the assets to spend far more than they already are, and can incur possible cap penalties to sign a game-changing franchise talent like Jackson.
Surely it won’t be easy and may require more cap massaging to get done, but if Wentz under performs again in 2022, it is something to think about in 2023.