Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz played through a fractured finger in Thursday’s win over the Chicago Bears. However, the latest injury to the signal-caller is going to sideline him Week 7 against the Green Bay Packers and beyond.
Wentz already went into Week 6 dealing with a biceps strain that left him at far less than 100% against Chicago. He injured his finger early in the game and could be seen grimacing after it happened then trying to manage the pain throughout the game. As a result of the damage to his finger, Wentz has one of his worst performances of the season.
- Carson Wentz stats (Week 6): 12-of-22, 99 passing yards, 4.5 ypa, 66.3 quarterback rating, 54.6% completion rate
Following the victory, Wentz underwent testing that determined he fractured the finger. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Commanders’ quarterback went to Los Angeles on Monday to undergo further evaluation. Rapoport noted later in the day that Wentz is expected to miss 4-6 weeks of action and could be placed on injured reserve.
Related: Washington Commanders schedule
Washington will likely start Taylor Heinicke Week 7 and beyond. The 29-year-old passer started in 15-of-16 games during the 2021 season, posting a 20-to-15 TD-INT ratio with an 85.9 quarterback rating. Considering he went 7-8 as the starter, the Commanders should only be a slight underdog at FedEx Field against Green Bay.
While it will allow for rookie quarterback Sam Howell to slide into the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, it remains to be seen when he might get a shot this season. Heinicke is one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL and Washington drafted Howell as a long-term project who it wanted to use the entire 2022 season to develop without forcing into a starting role.
Wentz’s injury extends beyond the on-field impact to the Commanders’ offense. As part of the offseason deal with the Indianapolis Colts, Washington included a conditional 2023 draft pick.
If Wentz played at least 70% of the team’s offensive snaps, the Commanders would trade their 2023 second-round pick to Indianapolis. Now facing the possibility of missing multiple games, the fractured finger could allow Washington to only surrender its third-round pick to the Colts. Considering how poorly the Commanders’ offense is performing this season, the change from Wentz to Heinicke likely won’t have a massive impact on the offense.
