The Philadelphia Eagles are trading quarterback Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts, and they will pay a steep price in doing so.
Trading Wentz carries a $33.8 million dead cap charge. According to ESPN's Field Yates, it is the largest dead cap hit in NFL history.
Despite the trade to Indianapolis, Carson Wentz will still have the largest cap hit on the Eagles' roster in 2021: a $33.8M dead cap charge, the largest dead cap charge in NFL history.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) February 18, 2021
The Eagles had signed Wentz to a $128 million extension in the summer of 2019, seemingly declaring him the franchise quarterback.
Things appeared to be looking up after Wentz led the Eagles to the playoffs in 2019 in spite of a plethora of injuries. The former No. 2 overall pick threw for over 4,000 yards and 27 touchdowns against seven interceptions, and Philly went 9-7 on the season.
But the 2020 season was a nightmare, both for Wentz and the organization on the whole.
Wentz went 3-8-1 in 12 starts, completing just 57.4 percent of his pass attempts and throwing 15 interceptions, tied for most in the league. He also took a league-high 50 sacks, though an injury-riddled offensive line certainly did not help matters.
The 28-year-old was eventually benched in favor of rookie Jalen Hurts, which (in hindsight) essentially marked the beginning of the end for Wentz in Philly.
Unfortunately for the Eagles, there appeared little choice but to take this hit. Wentz did not give any indication he was swayed by the hiring of former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni after the Birds dismissed Doug Pederson. It seemed inevitable the team would eventually have to go in a new direction.
The question now becomes, what is that new direction? Will the Eagles place their trust in Hurts, or will they use the No. 6 overall pick to draft a quarterback?
Regardless, Wentz's dead cap charges are a painful reminder of potential not realized in the City of Brotherly Love.
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