INDIANAPOLIS – The Carson Wentz era lasted one season.
And that was all but determined shortly after that one season ended with an embarrassing, playoff-dashing loss to the worst team in the NFL.
The Indianapolis Colts have agreed to trade their embattled quarterback to the Washington Commanders. The trade cannot become official until March 16, the first day of the new league year.
The deal involves a swap of 2nd-round picks in the April draft – the Colts move from 47th overall to the No. 42 slot – and has the Commanders parting with a 2022 third-round pick and a 2023 third-round pick that elevates to a second-rounder if Wentz is on the field for 70% of the snaps.
Also – and this shouldn’t be casually dismissed – Washington assumes the entirety of Wentz’s contract. That includes his $15 million base salary and another $13.3 million that becomes guaranteed on the third day of the new league year.
They believed they had their quarterback of the future when they acquired Wentz in a trade with Philadelphia last February. The cost was steep: a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 first-rounder, which is 16th overall.
They were wrong, and the trade is a sobering admission of that.
As one Colts’ source put it, it became clear Wentz wasn’t the right “fit.’’
Instead of compounding the mistake and hoping things improve next season, they’ll move on and reboot at the most influential position as soon as possible.
While the Colts completely wipe Wentz off their 2022 budget – all $28.3 million goes Poof! – the wasn’t based on financial considerations. Far from it.
In this instance, Jim Irsay steered an internal discussion with general manager Chris Ballard and coach Frank Reich that began in a rare meeting the night of the season-ending loss at Jacksonville. And the owner possessed the only vote that mattered.
Only two options were seriously considered: trading Wentz, or outright releasing him. Irsay had no desire to retain Wentz and find out if things might improve in year 2.
His mind was made up as soon as the Colts wasted a 98% chance of reaching the playoffs with two games remaining. The closing losses to the Las Vegas Raiders at Lucas Oil Stadium and at Jacksonville against a team with the worst record in the league were humiliating, but simply reinforcing factors to Irsay.
It was time to move on, and that became apparent to the frustrated owner as the season unfolded, teetered, then bottomed out.
Another source stressed the drastic personnel decision wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction to the crushing, season-ending 26-11 loss to the Jaguars, which was preceded by the listless 23-20 loss at home to the Raiders. Win either game, and the Colts earned a playoff berth.
It wasn’t a “rash decision.’’
“This has nothing to do with the Jacksonville game,’’ the source said. “That was just a symptom of a problem that started in the spring. This is what’s best for the Colts going forward in 2022.’’
That’s the first indication there was a problem with Wentz almost from the outset.
It’s believed those issues involved a complete lack of leadership, which is the overriding prerequisite for a quarterback, and resisting coaching advice. An inability to handle criticism or self-evaluate also were contributing factors.
Wentz turned 29 in December. Essentially, the Colts are convinced he is who he is. Considering the unappealing options in the draft and veteran free agency, their action also underscores the willingness to have anyone but Wentz be their quarterback in 2022.
Ballard and Reich routinely praised Sam Ehlinger for possessing the “it’’ factor. The rookie backup quarterback lacks ideal size and arm strength, but leadership and earning the trust of his teammates are considered two of his strengths.
That apparently wasn’t the case with Wentz.
Ballard and Reich fell well short of offering even tepid support of Wentz in meetings with the media shortly after the season ended and again at the NFL Scouting Combine.
“Ultimately you have to have a guy who you believe in and you can win with,’’ Ballard said at the Scouting Combine. “Whatever decision we make will be the best one for us.’’
He was asked why the Colts don’t believe in Wentz.
“Not saying we don’t, but in the long-term interest for us . . . we sit down and work through whether Carson is the long-term best answer or not,’’ Ballard said. “Whatever decision we make will be the best one for us.’’
Ballard also was asked which traits are required to be an effective, stabilizing presence at quarterback.
“I can give you a typical (response): accuracy, leadership, makes crucial plays that win,’’ he said. “Ultimately it’s the most scrutinized position in sports. It is. I think it’s one of the most difficult positions to play in sports.
“You’re playing a position where you’re trying to make accurate throws with people trying to actually hurt you. Then, the scrutiny that comes into play week-to-week. It’s a week-to-week league.’’
Reich played a major role in endorsing Wentz to Ballard and Irsay, which resulted in the trade with the Eagles. Wentz struggled mightily in 2020 with Philadelphia, but had his best seasons when Reich was the Eagles’ coordinator.
During the meeting with Irsay after the Jacksonville game, Reich apologized to his owner for being wrong with that endorsement. At the Scouting Combine, his affinity for Wentz remained.
“I know I believe in Carson. I believe in him,’’ Reich said. “I stuck my neck out for him last year. I was a big part of that decision to get him here.
“I believe he’s going to continue to have a lot of success at quarterback. That might be here, it might not be here . . . But I still believe in the person and I still believe in the player.’’
The team’s December meltdown essentially sealed Wentz’s fate.
“Ultimately we didn’t win as a team,’’ Reich said. “I’m not just putting this on Carson. We didn’t win the big game, the must-game, the gotta-have game.
“When you go 9-8 and miss the playoffs, those are questions you’re going to have to answer.’’
And that played a major role in the team’s decision to move on after one season despite Wentz having a plus-20 touchdown-to-interception margin (27-7), playing through a pair of sprained ankles early in the season and coming back quickly following foot surgery during training camp.
He’ll head into the offseason with a 44-40-1 record as a starter and 140 touchdowns against 57 interceptions, but the 2nd overall pick in the 2016 draft now has been discarded by two organizations in roughly one calendar year.
Wentz’s inability to be the quarterback and teammate the Colts envisioned when they acquired him from the Eagles infuriated Irsay.
He saw Jonathan Taylor put together one of the greatest seasons by a running back in team history – a league-leading and franchise-record 1,811 rushing yards along with a league-leading 2,171 total yards from scrimmage. The defense finished second in the league with 33 takeaways and tied-9th in fewest points allowed despite lacking a consistent pass rush. And special teams contributed three touchdowns, two on blocked punts.
Wentz wasn’t brought in to be the focal point of the offense, but he was expected to be more influential and effective. He was expected to be better in so many areas, and capable of making the necessary plays at critical moments in critical games.
“Make the layups,’’ Ballard told Wentz in a meeting after the season ended.
Wentz offered early indications he was what the team anticipated. He compiled a 100.1 passer rating over the first nine games by completing 63.3% of his passes, averaging 7.3 yards per attempt and delivering 17 touchdowns against three interceptions.
But over the final eight games, Wentz’s performance fell off and the passing game followed him. He countered four interceptions with 10 TDs, but averaged just 170.6 yards per game and 6.3 yards per attempt. In the closing losses to the Raiders and Jaguars, he completed 58.9% of his passes and averaged 166.5 yards per game and 5.9 yards per attempt.
According to one source, the Colts “got worn down from trying to carry Carson. It’s supposed to be the other way around. The quarterback is supposed to carry the team.’’
That was a significant factor in Irsay’s decision to cut ties and move on. He saw no other viable option.
Wentz’s decision to not get vaccinated – his boss strongly urged players to get vaccinated before training camp opened in late July – wasn’t a major factor in the team’s decision to move on, other than it was perceived as another sign of Wentz’s lack of leadership.
Irsay’s anger in the aftermath of his team’s massive collapse was evident in several social media postings over the past two months. He never mentioned Wentz or any player by name, but made it clear changes were coming.
“I have allowed doubt, fear and a lack of faith to slip into our DNA and it will not stand,’’ Irsay said in a video. “Every walking step in this offseason is committed to getting the horseshoe back to where it should be. I promise you one thing: anyone walking into the 56th Street complex this year will be walking in with all . . . chips . . . in. Period.
“If you don’t want to put all your chips in on the table for winning and excellence, then don’t walk in the building.’’
Carson Wentz won’t be walking into the building again.
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