Yesterday, it was reported that Carson Wentz was looking to avoid surgery on his troublesome foot and heal up with rest and rehab. Clearly over the past 24 hours that was ruled out, since Colts head coach Frank Reich announced Monday that Wentz would have surgery and be sidelined for the next 5-12 weeks.
That’s a pretty open-ended timetable for a return, so it’s anyone’s guess as to when Wentz will actually be back under center. Five weeks could have him back right in time for the start of the regular season, 12 weeks means he’d miss almost half the regular season. Reich revealed the injury isn’t exactly new, with doctors telling the team it may date back to Wentz’s high school football days.
Apparently there’s an old broken bone in his foot that has now become loose. The surgery will be to remove the bone. It’s a tough blow for a Colts team that had playoff aspirations. They’ve been tight-lipped about the situation, and it’s also unclear what they plan to do at quarterback if Wentz does in fact miss regular season games.
They could go with last year’s fourth-round pick Jacob Eason, who didn’t sniff the field as a rookie, or with former Packers and Cardinals backup Brett Hundley who they just signed the other day. Hundley does at least have a decent amount of starting experience. Rookie sixth-round pick Sam Ehlinger from Texas is on the roster as well, and a trade for a veteran is a distinct possibility at this point.
There are also significant draft pick implications with this timeline. When Indy made the trade with the Eagles to land Wentz, they agreed to give up a 2022 second-round pick. However, that pick becomes a first-rounder if Wentz plays 75 percent of the team’s snaps this season, or 70 percent and they make the playoffs.
It’ll be very interesting to see how that now plays out. If Wentz is going to come very close to missing say a fourth of the season, it might be in the team’s best interest to sit him an extra week and save the ever valuable first-round pick.
Carson Wentz screws over the Eagles even after he gets traded. He’s been a nightmare to this organization. Wishing the Colts the best as their nightmare begins.
Been a nightmare? They won a Super Bowl in his tenure and even though Foles stepped up for him the Eagles don’t get there without him.
Not to mention the fact that he should have won the MVP the year he got hurt. Don’t blame Wentz for that organization’s dysfunction.
I’m no Wentz apologist but he has had some bad breaks and is a gamer IMO. He has sufferers from serious injuries and tried to play through them. That cheap hit he took from Clowney, shredding his knee and also injuring his back all let to him having to be sat down and having his helmet taken away from him or he’d have kept going. This foot injury is a case of a previous issue he kept playing through.
I’d sure as hell sit him another week to not give up the potential 1st rounder pick. Got damaged goods why give the Eagles a 1st rounder.
I’d guess Indy would happily give up a 1st rounder and blonde he was healthy which leads to a good season as opposed to being hurt, scrambling at the position and having a crappy season. The difference been those scenarios is not that many picks from late 1st to early 2nd.
Nick Foles?
If the Colts sign Foles they might as well hang a “WE PLAN TO TANK” banner at the stadium entrance.
BDN disagrees
I have one word for Carson Wentz
RETIRE!!!!
Maybe they pull a rabbit out and convince Luck to un-retire for a year.
Minshew could be an option. I really don’t see any way that Lawrence doesn’t start unless there’s an injury. Indy will probably wait until they see Eason and Hundley on the field for preseason before making any moves
I think they’d be better off trading for Minshew than Foles. Probably would cost less in terms of what they’d have to give up too. I’m thinking a 3rd round pick and change.
Ehlinger would get the nod for me. Eason possibly, but I wouldn’t start Hundley for anything. If I’m going to get subpar QB play, I’d rather have a chance to develop a guy I picked. Both those young guys did have decent success in college and could have been higher picks with a few small deviations in their college careers, and Hundley has never showed much at the professional level other than a great attitude.
If they trade for Minshew (unlikely that a division rival would give up a valuable asset to a needy Colts squad that they could steal wins from, but who knows with the new regime in Jacksonville), it would mean that either season or Ehlinger is gone I think. My bet would be Eason, given that he and Ehlinger occupy the same developmental role and that Ehlinger wouldn’t have been picked if Eason was impressing the staff to an enormous degree. Between all these choices, I think preseason is the final option to determine a starter between the two young quarterbacks rather than a trade.
Besides, the Colts likely have time beyond this year with Wentz no matter what happens. It’d be good to make the playoffs this year, but they don’t absolutely need to force it and sell out if it doesn’t work. They still need to consider next year, too.