5 veteran quarterbacks Colts can acquire to replace Carson Wentz in 2022

The Indianapolis Colts will have a big decision to make this offseason about Carson Wentz and his future with the team.

After Phillip Rivers retired, the Indianapolis Colts were forced to find a new starting quarterback. The franchise ultimately decided to trade for Carson Wentz, sending a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles.

At the time, it was a lot of mixed reviews of the trade. Wentz essentially played himself out of Philadelphia, so he had a polarizing reputation.

Some felt a fresh start was needed for Wentz, and reuniting with Frank Reich would help Wentz return to his prime. Others felt that Indy overpaid for an inconsistent quarterback with a massive contract.

Nearly a year removed from the trade and 17 games of Wentz as the Colts starter, reality is starting to tilt to the side that Wentz is an inconsistent quarterback.

Wentz did improve from his last season with the Eagles, but his inability to consistently deliver in the biggest moments leaves many believing that he is unable to lead the Colts to a Super Bowl, so Indy should be searching for a replacement.

While the noise outside of the franchise was loud, the voices within also added fuel to the fire. Reich didn’t publicly commit to Wentz in his final presser, and general manager, Chris Ballard, said he felt the trade was the right move, but he also wouldn’t commit to Wentz moving forward.

Despite Wentz being under contract for next season, these comments make it seem as if Indianapolis will explore its options at quarterback this offseason, but what are the options.

The draft class isn’t particularly strong, and if it was, Indy shipped away its first-round pick to acquire Wentz. That means the Colts will have to explore the free agency market or try to broker another trade that could bring in an upgrade.

Here are 5 veteran quarterbacks that Indianapolis can acquire if they are ready to move on from Carson Wentz.

Colts could replace Carson Wentz with Jameis Winston

Veteran quarterback, Jameis Winston, will be a free agent this offseason as he recovers from a torn ACL and a damaged MCL.

Winston was the No. 1 overall pick in 2015 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During his time with Tampa, he flashed the elite arm talent that made him a coveted prospect but also tended to commit head-scratching mistakes. A lot like Wentz.

Winston’s Buccaneer era is best captured by his final season with the team when he passed for a league-leading 5,109 yards, 33 touchdowns, but also a league-worst 30 interceptions.

After Tom Brady took over in Tampa Bay, Winston went to the New Orleans Saints to develop as a quarterback and to try and win the job of Drew Brees’ successor.

That plan worked out as Winston started the 2021 season for New Orleans. Winston played seven games, going 5-2, throwing 1,170 yards, 14 touchdowns, and just three interceptions before injuring his knee.

While Winston did look like an improved quarterback, the knee injury brings new questions to his situation.

Will Winston want to try and return to the Saints or is he open to going anywhere? Does New Orleans have other plans? Is a team like the Colts willing to gamble on Winston?

Since he is a free agent, Indianapolis would be able to sign him while keeping Wentz on the roster and setting up a competition.

Winston’s contract shouldn’t be that expensive considering his circumstances, but the problem for Indy is that this path is far from a sure answer at quarterback.

Colts could replace Carson Wentz with Russell Wilson

Outside of Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson is the most desired quarterback that may be on the move this offseason. Some may even desire Wilson more than Rodgers due to their ages.

Last offseason, it was rumored that Wilson was ready to move on from the Seattle Seahawks. He ultimately played another year with the team and they finished 7-10, though, Wilson missed three games with a finger injury.

Now, with two years remaining on his contract, it has been reported that Wilson will explore his options this offseason.

Wilson is undoubtedly an upgrade over Wentz. He has played at an elite level the last decade, and even after struggling at times this past season, the majority of Colts fans would take him over Wentz in a heartbeat.

Fortunately, there is a realistic path for getting Wilson to Indianapolis, but it will take Indy packaging up a lot. Also, Wilson would have to choose the Colts since he has a no-trade clause in his contract.

Indianapolis could package Wentz and several picks in the coming years to send to Seattle. That would secure Wilson to Indy for at least two years and if the team impresses him, he could be extended.

Adding Wilson to this Indianapolis roster would significantly improve the odds of winning a Super Bowl in the next two years. Wilson wouldn’t answer all of the problems, but he would be a reasonable upgrade at quarterback.

Colts could replace Carson Wentz with Jimmy Garoppolo

Jimmy Garoppolo has been in the NFL for eight years and he has had an interesting career. When he was drafted to the New England Patriots, many believed the franchise found the perfect successor for Tom Brady.

Brady decided that he would play football forever, so New England finally gave in to one of the many suitors, trading Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers in his fourth season.

Garoppolo took over in San Francisco and started his reputation of winning. He won his first seven starts in the NFL and eventually helped the 49ers reach the Super Bowl game in 2019.

Following the Super Bowl loss, Garoppolo’s reputation began to change. During the 2020 season, he missed 10 games with an ankle injury. This was just two years after he missed 13 games in 2019 with a torn ACL.

Garoppolo picked up the injury-prone label, and this led San Francisco to wonder how much they could depend on him. As a result, the 49ers traded up in the 2021 Draft to select Trey Lance.

Despite Garoppolo starting 15 games this season, it has been reported, during the team’s playoff run, that San Fran still intends to start Lance next season.

This means the 49ers feel that Lance is ready, and even if Jimmy G wins a Super Bowl this season, they’ll still move on to the young quarterback that they’ve invested capital in.

With Garoppolo being available for trade, the Colts should certainly investigate. However, it’s fair to ask how much of an upgrade is Jimmy G over Carson Wentz.

Both quarterbacks have similar reputations, talented but injury-prone, and struggle to consistently deliver in the biggest moments. Wentz and Garoppolo also have similar annual salaries.

So while replacing Wentz with Jimmy G is something that’s possible for Indy, it may not satisfy the fans or the team’s needs to become a contender.

Colts could replace Carson Wentz with Cam Newton

Cam Newton has had a turbulent journey with the NFL the last few years. He was unexpectedly discarded by the Carolina Panthers in 2020 and ultimately signed with a bare New England Patriots team.

After one season in Foxborough, Newton was cut a week before the start of the 2021 regular season as the Patriots decided to move forward with Mac Jones.

This left Newton a free agent, until Week 10 when a horrid Panthers team came to Newton asking him to save the day. Newton returned to Carolina before ultimately being cast aside for Sam Darnold.

Newton will again be a free agent and maintains that he has good football left in him. He doesn’t plan on retiring and is open to being a backup quarterback but wants to be in a situation where the team has real chances of winning games.

Newton isn’t going to be brought to Indianapolis as an outright replacement for Carson Wentz, but he can be brought in to create a competitive environment.

If the Colts are unable to land one of the bigger quarterback targets, they could bring Newton in on a small deal and set up a competition. If Indy does that, there are three possible outcomes.

One outcome is Newton’s presence pushes Wentz to raise his levels and play better. If that happens, Indianapolis has a better quarterback.

Another possibility is Newton outperforms Wentz and is named the starter, also giving the Colts an upgrade at quarterback.

The third prospect is both Newton and Wentz are underwhelming and Indy enters another season with a question mark at the quarterback position.

Signing Newton may not be the optimal solution, but it gives the Colts 2-out-of-3 scenarios where improvement can take place.

Colts could replace Carson Wentz with Derek Carr

Everyone looks to the Jacksonville Jaguars game as the reason Indianapolis didn’t make the playoffs. While that was an embarrassing loss, in what should’ve been an easy win, the Colts could’ve clinched a playoff spot a week earlier.

Indy lost in Week 17 to the Las Vegas Raiders and a big reason why was Derek Carr. In the game, Carr completed 24-of-31 passes for 255 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, and a game-winning drive.

After helping to block the Colts from the playoffs, there are reports that Carr could possibly join Indianapolis this offseason and help them reach the postseason next year.

Carr has one year remaining on his contract, and the Raiders are currently searching for a general manager and a head coach. It’s possible that Las Vegas may go in a direction with the new regime that Carr isn’t willing to travel.

If that happens, instead of letting Carr walk away in 2023 free agency, the Raiders will likely trade him this offseason to get something in return.

That’s where the Colts can enter the picture. Indy can probably swap Wentz and picks to bring Carr to Indianapolis if he is deemed a worthy upgrade.

It would start as a one-year rental, but if Carr and Indianapolis are impressed with each other, they can work towards an extension.

Whether Carr or any of the other four quarterbacks can fix Indy’s problems remains to be seen, but these are the most realistic options if the Colts are looking for a change.

If anything, this list shows the challenges Indy will face as it attempts to upgrade at quarterback. There aren’t any can’t-miss prospects or flawless veterans that are easy to acquire. So while the Colts may be ready to move on from Wentz, they may be forced to stick with him.

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