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The football career of Carson Wentz has been anything but conventional. In his second year under center for the Philadelphia Eagles, Wentz was headed towards MVP status before a torn MCL and LCL opened the path for backup quarterback Nick Foles’ fairytale run, ending in the Eagles’ first Super Bowl Championship.
It has been a bumpy road ever since that fateful injury in 2017 which changed the trajectory of Wentz’ career.
Now, he is seeking a fresh start in Washington after being acquired via trade from the Indianapolis Colts. His time with the Colts was another part of his story that didn’t go as planned.
“I think it was a year of highs and lows, ups and downs,” Wentz said. “The way we finished, the way I finished was poor, and I think that definitely was a tough pill to swallow and tough to finish like that. Especially when we thought we had a chance to do something special and make a run.”
“Things happen. I always believe things happen for a reason,” he continued. “And you get an opportunity, still got an opportunity to come out and prove myself and play the game that I love. I look forward to doing that.”
The Commanders are in desperate need of stability at the quarterback position. Over the past two seasons, the team has tried rallying behind Kyle Allen, Alex Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick (suffered season-ending hip injury) and Taylor Heinicke but none of these situations panned out.
In an effort to dramatically improve their 7-10 record from the 2021-22 season, Commanders’ coach Ron Rivera made it very clear he was willing to be aggressive to bring in a veteran quarterback.
“We are truly trying to cover every base,” Rivera said. “But I think this team needs a veteran. I really do. Still, we will look everywhere for the answer.”
In a very competitive free agency quarterback market, Washington rolled the dice and decided that Wentz was worth the gamble. The trade package included the following:
Commanders receive:
- Carson Wentz
- 2022 second-round pick
Colts receive:
- 2022 third-round pick
- 2023 third-round pick that escalates to a second-rounder if Wentz plays 70% of snaps
- 2022 second-round pick
With Rivera entering his third-year as Washington’s head coach, Wentz not only has to succeed for himself, he also has to succeed for Rivera who could be under pressure if the Commanders can’t achieve a winning season.
“For me, I try not to make things bigger than it needs to be. Come in and play good football. That’s always my goal,” Wentz explained. “I put my best foot forward and let the chips fall where they may. And that’s the mindset I’ve had ever since I was in college playing ball and go to the league so that’s what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna put my head down, work, build relationships and hopefully look up at the end of the year and be happy with the result.”
The upcoming season will not only serve as a new beginning, it will be an opportunity for Wentz to rewrite his story and prove he still deserves to be a starter in the NFL.
