
Over the last few weeks, there have been multiple reports that the expectation is for the Indianapolis Colts to move on from QB Carson Wentz via trade or his release before March 18.
According to Jeff Howe, a National NFL Insider for The Athletic, the Colts are one of six total teams who ‘figure to be diligent’ within the QB trade market this off-season.
Howe writes, in part, “The Commanders have already inquired about every quarterback who might be available, according to a source. The early digging is a sign that they plan to be aggressive in an attempt to upgrade the position.”
“The Colts, Buccaneers, Saints, Panthers and Steelers also figure to be diligent, according to sources.”
There are plenty of intriguing names being thrown around, including Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers and Seattle’s Russell Wilson, but neither of these options will come cheap and would likely require the Colts to trade a slew of first-round selections in an effort to land either star QB.
Of the potential cheaper options, Las Vegas’ Derek Carr and the 49ers’ Jimmy Garoppolo come to mind. Carr and Garoppolo are both coming off seasons in which they led their respective teams to a post-season berth and may not require as much draft capital in a trade.
However, they may be worth more compensation-wise in their respective team’s eyes, especially given the uncertainty surrounding the rest of the free-agent QB market and the 2022 NFL Draft class.
Furthermore, the Colts aren’t the only team looking to upgrade at QB, which means each of these QBs, some of whom have no-trade clauses and would have to approve of the team before agreeing to be traded, could come at a very high price.
If Indy is truly wanting to be ‘diligent’ and upgrade at QB in an effort to put an end to their band-aid approach, they’re going to have to invest adequate resources to find a more long-term solution this off-season.