Colts: Benching Carson Wentz to save first-round draft pick really isn’t crazy

Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star typically writes knee-jerk, emotional content in response to whatever’s going on with the Colts. You’ve seen it before, you’ll see it again. It’s a style of coverage that exists. Read it or don’t!

His latest take is catching a lot of flak … but should it? We know Carson Wentz has largely been good this season outside of a handful of boneheaded mistakes that cost Indy a couple of games, but why is the idea of benching him to save a first-round draft pick apparently too radical to handle?

When the Colts traded for Wentz, the deal that was agreed upon with the Philadelphia Eagles included a conditional second-round pick for 2022. That second-round pick will turn into a first-rounder should Wentz play 70% of the regular-season snaps and the Colts reach the playoffs OR if he plays 75% or more of the regular-season snaps.

At this point, at 3-5 and 3.5 games behind the Tennessee Titans in the AFC South (including the tie-breaker), the Colts probably aren’t making it to the playoffs. So, now, it’ll likely come down to Wentz playing three-quarters of the season for Indy. Why in the world would the Colts opt to play him during a lost season? Not only would that risk further injury to an injury-prone player, but it also could lose them a premium selection in the 2022 draft.

The Colts eventually benching Carson Wentz really isn’t crazy.

This means, to be safe, if the Colts were actually going to do this, Wentz would have to be benched after the team’s 12th game, which is against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 28. If the Colts can beat the Jaguars and the Bills in between while the Titans suffer a couple of losses, then that’s a different story. But what up until this point in the season makes you think any of that will happen?

Then again, the Titans just lost Derrick Henry for the rest of the regular season and their next four games will come against the Rams, Saints, Texans and Patriots. We can safely bake in only one win over that span.

But even if Tennessee goes 1-3 and the Colts go 2-2 (probably the safest bet here), the Colts would still be 2.5 games back, including the tiebreaker. The only way this conversation flips is if it’s a 1-3/3-1 trade-off.

It gets even more complicated, though, because the Titans finish out the year against the Jaguars, Steelers, 49ers, Dolphins and Texans — all winnable games. The Colts? Texans, Patriots, Cardinals, Raiders and Jaguars. Objectively more difficult.

Additionally, the Colts have been saving a roster spot for Sam Ehlinger, clearly with the intention of seeing what the former Texas QB can do after a fairly impressive preseason. Maybe he gets a majority of the reps in a scenario where Wentz is shut down so the team can reassess their future at the position?

Again, really not that crazy.

So if you’re enraged by the idea of the Colts throwing in the towel — which they kind of already have with two inexplicable losses on the ledger (Titans and Ravens) and another they let slip from their grasp (Rams) — just realize that it’ll require a complete 180 from a team that has shown no signs of turning it around AND a complete collapse from a division rival that’s clearly been up for the task this season.

Colts: Carson Wentz missing Jonathan Taylor on game-losing pick is brutal

Colts quarterback Carson Wentz missing a wide open Jonathan Taylor on his game-losing interception in overtime is brutal.