The move on Wednesday by the Indianapolis Colts to trade Carson Wentz wasn’t as abrupt as it seemed, publicly.
From the outside looking in, it appears as if the Indianapolis Colts made a rash decision to move on from Carson Wentz. Indy lost its last two games, partly due to Wentz underperforming, and the team missed the playoffs.
It looked as if the team had seen enough of Wentz’s performances and knew they wanted to move on. However, there was much more to the story.
While Wentz’s play the last two weeks of the season didn’t help his case, the Colts reportedly lost belief in Carson well before the collapse in Jacksonville. Week 18 was just the final straw and the decision to move on was made shortly after.
This wasn't just about football, and it wasn't just about the embarrassment in Jacksonville.
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) March 10, 2022
The Colts' decision to move on from Carson Wentz was months in the making. Inside the team's frustrations, and thinking, which led to his trade to Washington: https://t.co/jVrYAlh4Z6
Things were rocky between Colts and Carson Wentz since he arrived
In a recent piece by Zak Keefer of The Athletic, he reports that the team first started having issues with Carson Wentz before the season even began.
Keefer says, “some grew frustrated at what they deemed a lack of leadership, a resistance to hard coaching and a reckless style of play, which had a role in several close losses this year.”
All these traits showed themselves early in the year and they became prominent factors throughout the year and ultimately led to the Colts folding down the stretch of the season.
The fashion that Indianapolis moved Wentz seems to support the claims that it was about more than his on-field actions because Indy traded Carson without a clear next step at quarterback.
Last season, Wentz completed 62.2% of his passes and threw for 3,563 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He had his moments where he missed easy passes or reads, and the occasional reckless plays, but if performance was the only issue, this is a stat line that could be worked with.
Especially considering the remaining quarterback options the Colts have to choose from.
However, there was no longer trust between Wentz and the organization and Indy knew that Wentz wasn’t in future plans. The Colts did what they felt was inevitable and moved on from Carson Wentz after just one season.
Indianapolis was lucky to offload Wentz’s contract and get a few picks in return. However, there is no clear answer at quarterback and even with Wentz’s reported problems, Indy is at risk of being in an even worse situation next season.
Realistic quarterback options for Colts after trading Carson Wentz
After trading away Carson Wentz, the Indianapolis Colts will look to veteran quarterbacks to fill the team’s void. Here’s some realistic options.