Darius Leonard shared his thoughts with Twitter after the Indianapolis Colts traded quarterback Carson Wentz.
Wednesday afternoon, the Indianapolis Colts traded quarterback Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders. Indy moving on from Wentz had been anticipated all offseason but the trade made it official.
Through the trade, the Colts were able to swap for a higher pick in this year’s draft and also get two additional mid-round picks for the next two drafts.
Indianapolis also opened up a significant amount of cap space with Washington agreeing to take on all of Wentz’s contract. Ultimately, it was a good deal for a quarterback that likely wasn’t returning anyway.
However, there’s still one big problem: Indy will be entering the season with a new quarterback yet again. That was Darius Leonard’s reaction when the news was announced.
Here we go again! About to be 5 years with the Colts and 5 different QBs! Thank you Carson for everything this year my guy! Wish you nothing but the best!
— Darius Shaquille Leonard (@dsleon45) March 9, 2022
Darius Leonard is tired of Colts changing quarterbacks
Leonard thanked Carson Wentz and wished him the best, but his statement led with the fact that he is about to enter his fifth season in the NFL and every year Indy has had a different No. 1 quarterback.
In Leonard’s rookie season, Andrew Luck was the starter. Year two, it was Jacoby Brissett. Year three was Philip Rivers and last season was Carson Wentz.
During those four seasons, Leonard has been selected to three Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams, establishing himself as one of the best linebackers in the NFL.
While it can be frustrating for any player to have a new quarterback every year, it has to be especially infuriating when you’re an elite player and the situation is impacting your prime years.
That’s the circumstances that many on the Colts are facing. This is an extremely talented roster that had the most Pro Bowlers in the league last year, but they are stuck in quarterback purgatory.
Indy has three players— Leonard, Jonathan Taylor, and Quenton Nelson— who are arguably the best at their position in the NFL. Then there are also talents like Kenny Moore, DeForest Buckner, and emerging guys like Michael Pittman Jr. and Julian Blackmon.
Indy is just a few pieces away from being a problem for the league. It’ll be a shame if all the prime years of these elite players are wasted because the team can’t get the quarterback position right.
The discouraging news is that Indy doesn’t currently have any options that look like a long-term solution. That means the Colts may be right back in the same spot next offseason and Darius Leonard could be entering his sixth year with another new quarterback.
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.