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After Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson's futures were made clear, with the former signing a huge extension with the Green Bay Packers and the latter being dealt to the Denver Broncos, the Washington Commanders felt the need to make a splash in the quarterback market. They did just that on Wednesday, agreeing to acquire Carson Wentz from the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a series of mid-round draft picks, per Ian Rapoport. While getting a new quarterback is always an exciting move for a franchise, the Commanders completely whiffed in their decision to acquire Wentz, in what should prove to be a disaster in D.C. The harsh truth is, Wentz was the absolute last quarterback the Commanders should have had their sights on.
Full terms:
Commanders get: QB Carson Wentz.#Colts get: This year’s third rounder and next year’s third rounder that can convert to a 2nd based on last year’s incentives.— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2022
Wentz has effectively played himself out of every situation he's ever been in during his NFL career. After showcasing tremendous potential with the Eagles, Wentz's character came into question, and the team offloaded to the Colts despite having signed him to a massive contract extension. The fact the Eagles walked back on such a large commitment is a major red flag surrounding the quarterback, who did nothing to improve the league's perception of him in Indianapolis.
Sure, statistically Wentz had a solid season in Indy, but the fact that the Colts were so eager to offload him this offseason is extremely worrisome. He was one of the best QBs in football for much of the season, in terms of productions, despite the team's late-season collapse. Rather than bring him back for another go-around, the Colts barely even hid their desire to move on from Wentz this offseason, and were able to usher him off to the Commanders for some mid-level draft capital.
The Commanders shouldn't feel like they got fleeced in this trade, as that's simply not the case. But if they truly expect Wentz to turn the franchise around and lead them back to the playoffs, they're in for a rude awakening.
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Last season, Wentz threw 27 touchdown passes and 7 interceptions, leading the Colts to a 9-8 record. He recorded 3,563 yards and completed 62.4% of his pass attempts, but struggled down the stretch. During the Colts' meltdown at the end of the season, during which the team lost its last three games. In that stretch, Wentz threw four touchdown passes and just one interception, but totaled just 558 yards in that span and failed to help his team reach the playoffs. After the regular season, Wentz's ability as a leader once again came under question.
The Colts seem more than happy to be rid of Wentz, and reports suggest they're already looking to replace him with a new face this offseason. Jimmy Garoppolo has been mentioned as a potential replacement, leaving fans to wonder why the Commanders weren't more aggressive in their pursuit of the 49ers' quarterback, who has been known to be available for quite some time.
Terry McLaurin was hoping 2022 would mark some big changes at the quarterback position, and he was right. Unfortunately for the Commanders' best wide receiver, those changes likely won't yield better throws heading in his direction, though Wentz can still be considered an upgrade to that of Taylor Heinicke.
Washington fans will be hoping Wentz can prove all of the doubters wrong and have a solid season in the nation's capital. At the very least, Washington's two games per year against the Philadelphia Eagles will sure make for must-watch TV and the storyline surrounding the NFC East added a bit of intrigue.
