Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman has shown over the years that he is not one to shy away from providing stern hot takes on passers in the NFL today. This time around, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback shared a notable viewpoint regarding Washington Commanders passer Carson Wentz.
Aikman spoke during a media availability with ESPN last month where he noted that Wentz’s upcoming run in Washington is “probably his last opportunity” to “prove that he can be a franchise quarterback” in the league. The new Monday Night Football analyst further added that he is “hopeful” Wentz will be able to take full advantage of his chance to run the Commanders offense later this year.
During a press conference on Thursday at Commanders’ OTAs, Wentz was asked for his reaction to Aikman’s stance on this matter. The veteran quarterback elected to not engage in a back-and-forth with Aikman, but rather noted that he is looking to make the most out of his run in Washington.
“I didn’t know that was said quite frankly,” Wentz said. “That I’m fine with it. You know, everyone’s got their own opinion. I’m just excited to be playing this game, have this opportunity. I think we have the ability to do something special here and then we have a really good skill set offensively to be dynamic.
“It takes one day at a time, obviously, but for me, I don’t try to put too much pressure on myself. I always have high expectations for myself and for the offense, but I don’t try and play those types of games.”
Wentz is coming off of a roller-coaster one-season run with the Indianapolis Colts last year. He recorded 27 passing touchdowns and 3,563 passing yards over 17 regular season games played, and while he guided the Colts to a winning campaign, a two-game losing streak to cap off the year saw them miss out on a wild-card spot in the AFC.
For now, the Commanders are slated to kick off their mandatory minicamp schedule on June 14, which is set to see Wentz receive another opportunity to build early chemistry with his wide receiver corps.