When the Indianapolis Colts traded for Carson Wentz in 2021, general manager Chris Ballard believed the young quarterback would thrive in a reunion with Frank Reich. A year later, it seems the Colts are more than willing to move on from the failed Wentz experiment.
Indianapolis paid a heavy price to land Wentz, absorbing one of the largest quarterback contracts and trading a 2022 first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles. The organization defended its move for months and expressed confidence all year in Wentz until losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the regular-season finale.
After being eliminated from playoff contention, Ballard wouldn’t commit to Wentz as the starting quarterback in 2022. Then, hours before Super Bowl LVI, reports surfaced that Indianapolis planned to either trade or release Wentz.
Indianapolis wouldn’t be making a move out of a desperate need for cap relief. The Colts are $37.5 million under the salary cap and could easily create more room with Wentz still on the roster. However, his poor play is leading the franchise to heavily weigh trading him. Unfortunately for the Colts, that comes with its own problems.
- Carson Wentz stats (2021): 3,563 passing yards, 27-7 TD-INT ratio, 54.7 QBR, 62.4% completion rate
The Athletic’s Mike Sando spoke to multiple NFL executives and they expressed uncertainty about what Indianapolis would even be able to net for Wentz in a trade.
In terms of pure performance, Wentz is still viewed as a top-20 starting quarterback in the NFL. There are rough moments, like his reckless interceptions and pick-sixes, but his physical talents are undeniable. However, Wentz’s unvaccinated status caused issues for the Colts in 2021 and it’s evident that Reich has soured on him.
Wentz losing favor with the coach with who he had the closest relationship with in Philadelphia is a big part of the problem. The Eagles viewed Wentz as uncoachable and realized he wasn’t going to change. Just a year after trading a top pick, it seems the Colts have reached the same conclusion.
- Carson Wentz contract: $28.294 million cap hit (2022), $26.17 million cap hit (2023(, $27.2 million cap hit (2024)
If the Colts can’t get anything more than a Day 3 pick for Wentz, keeping him and restructuring his contract might be the best option. However, the lack of confidence in him will likely be reflected in the play-calling next season.
