The Indianapolis Colts are hopeful their elite infrastructure will help revive the career of quarterback Carson Wentz after they traded two draft picks, a 2021 second-rounder and a conditional third-rounder in 2022 to acquire him this offseason.
Not only will Wentz’s attempt to rebound with the Colts after a disaster final season in Philadelphia be among the lead stories in Indy, but it figures to dominate NFL storylines as a whole, and understandably so given the risk behind trading for him.
If we learned anything about Wentz during his last year with the Eagles, it’s that (at least according to reports) he could’ve been a more willing leader. Though he clearly wasn’t put in a great situation, the former No. 2 overall pick also didn’t respond well to adversity.
Per reports, Wentz and former head coach Doug Pederson weren’t on speaking terms after the quarterback was benched in Week 12.
Taking all this into account, it goes without saying the newly-minted Colts star will have to be more vocal and thick-skinned if he wants to lead Indy to the promised land.
Well, if Wentz’s interview with Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer was any indication, it’s that he’s undergone some major changes in those departments.
The Colts haven't asked Carson Wentz to be Andrew Luck or be a savior. They just want him to be himself. And so far, Wentz has been comfortable in Indy doing just that.@AlbertBreer's MMQB column: https://t.co/dIsblo8ScO
— The MMQB (@theMMQB) June 14, 2021
Carson Wentz’s personal changes will excite Colts fans.
"“Adversity, it does one of two things to people,” Wentz told Breer. “The analogy I always use, when you’re squeezed, what’s truly inside of you is going to come out. People respond and react differently. For me, I’ve seen the highs and lows in my five years, performance-wise, but also with injuries, unfortunate situations.“I think more than anything, I’ve grown as a man, and even in my faith, just kind of understanding the bigger picture of this game.“Being a quarterback, being a football player, is not truly my identity, it’s not what I put everything in my value into. It’s harder to do that when you’re younger, trying to make a name for yourself. But as a man of faith, this is my job, my occupation, something I love to do. It’s not my identity, it’s not my whole value, it’s not my whole life.”"
This might not sound like a huge deal to some fans, but if you recall Wentz’s most damning criticism from last season (playing hero ball too much), it’s absolutely massive. The 28-year-old struggled to find a middle ground between just being a quarterback and trying to justify where he was drafted/validate every last penny of his contract.
https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer/status/1404426324832362505
This resulted in him shouldering more of the burden in Philly’s offense. That, as we saw on countless occasions last year, often led to ill-advised throws on broken plays and fighting for extra unnecessary yards that ultimately resulted in turnovers instead of taking a sack.
As Breer put it in his MMQB column, Wentz was seemingly always thinking of scoring a touchdown from an impossible situation (while putting his body at risk) rather than moving the chains and living to fight another down. That’s how the quarterback position is supposed to be played and it appears Wentz’s self-evaluation helped him realize this.
While the Colts’ balanced roster will no doubt help remind the five-year pro that playing hero ball is almost never the answer, these quotes prove fans in Indianapolis are going to see a new-and-improved version of Wentz in 2021.
Colts: Carson Wentz’s latest gesture proves he’s dedicated
Indianapolis Colts QB Carson Wentz's latest gesture proves he's dedicated to his own improvement after a poor 2020 season.