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Head coach Frank Reich and the Indianapolis Colts are dealing with some internal drama heading into their Week 1 outing against the Seattle Seahawks.
That includes recently-acquired former Pro Bowl quarterback Carson Wentz currently finding himself reserve/COVID-19 list after coming in close contact with a staffer who tested positive for the virus.
Acquired in a blockbuster trade from the Philadelphia Eagles during the offseason, Wentz missed pretty much all of training camp with a foot injury he suffered earlier this summer.
In talking about his Indianapolis Colts and their COVID-19 situation following final cuts on Tuesday, Reich seemed to be incredibly frustrated.
“I do try to listen, and respect (them), but I also don’t shy away from saying what I believe and what I believe is right — the research that I’ve done,” Reich told reporters. “I don’t hesitate in saying what I think is best for the team.”
The head coach then turned his attention to the all-important quarterback position, led by the aforementioned Wentz.
“The franchise quarterback is a critically important position,” Reich said. “It’s without question a leadership position. As far as that goes, I would just say Carson, in many ways, is an exemplary leader. Are any of us the perfect leader? I don’t know. I don’t think so. We all have holes in our game somewhere and we’re all trying to get better and we’re all trying to learn. I’m trying to learn as a leader.”
As you can see, Reich was attempting to be diplomatic with his words. However, it’s not too hard to read between the lines here. He’s not happy about the situation in its totality.
Read here to find out where the Indianapolis Colts stand in our most-recent power rankings
Indianapolis Colts have a lot invested in Carson Wentz
A clear playoff contender heading into the 2021 season, Indianapolis has nearly $100 million tied to Wentz over the next four seasons. He’s the very same quarterback who tied for the league lead in interceptions with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020 and has seemingly regressed since starting out his career strong.
The backdrop here is a potential first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft heading to Philadelphia in the blockbuster Wentz trade from early during the spring.
Of course, the Colts would be more than willing to give up that selection should the necessary conditions be met. That includes a playoff appearance.
Even then, the issues we’ve seen with Wentz thus far this summer has to be seen as troublesome for Indianapolis. Further problems when it comes to the unvaccinated quarterback during a 2021 season that will, once again, be defined by COVID-19, could have a lasting impact.