The Colts’ January collapse has put Carson Wentz‘s tenure with the franchise in jeopardy. Despite the team giving up a hefty trade haul for the former Eagles starter — a 2021 third-round pick and 2022 first — a weekend report indicated Wentz may well be a one-and-done in Indianapolis.
Wentz’s role in the Colts’ final two losses has moved the team to consider outside options, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. Chris Ballard‘s noncommitment to Wentz exiting the season provided a fairly clear indication the team is not sold on its starter, despite decent numbers in his first season back with Frank Reich.
After the unvaccinated quarterback struggled upon return from his COVID-19 contraction, which caused him to miss a week of practice leading up to the Colts’ Week 17 loss to the Raiders, he failed to come through again in Jacksonville in one of the uglier regular-season losses in recent NFL history. Wentz’s decision to go through the season unvaccinated did not sit well with Jim Irsay, Zak Keefer of The Athletic notes (subscription required), and the Week 18 loss to the Jaguars prompted a meeting during which the owner, Ballard and Reich discussed Wentz at length.
The Colts have not made a decision on Wentz, ESPN.com’s Mike Wells notes, but it is not difficult to see which way they are leaning. The six-year vet’s chances of being given a second shot probably hinge on Indianapolis’ search for a replacement. The Colts would save $13MM by cutting Wentz before March 19. Should Wentz stay a Colt, he will be attached to a $28MM cap number.
Finding an upgrade is not automatic here. Aaron Rodgers has been connected to the Broncos most frequently as an outside destination, but signs are starting to point to the four-time MVP staying with the Packers. No strong indicator has yet emerged to point Russell Wilson out of Seattle, and the Vikings are preparing to keep Kirk Cousins. Derek Carr is going into the final year of his contract, and the Raiders have changed regimes. But Josh McDaniels is believed to hold Carr in high regard. None of this is set just yet, but unless the Colts view Jimmy Garoppolo as an upgrade, the team would fight an uphill battle thanks to having given up its 2022 first-rounder for Wentz. The Colts’ lack of a first-rounder also removes them from the mix to add one of this year’s top prospects.
Availability aside, this would be an intriguing destination for one of the potentially available QBs. The Colts rostered three defensive Pro Bowlers and have one of the NFL’s top offensive lines. They intend to extend Quenton Nelson this year, locking down their All-Pro left guard after reaching long-term agreements with center Ryan Kelly and right tackle Braden Smith. The team does need help at wide receiver, which makes Wentz’s 27-7 TD-INT ratio and ninth-place QBR finish last season look fairly impressive. But Indy’s roster is in good shape otherwise. Even with Wentz’s contract on the books, the Colts are projected to hold more than $37MM in cap space — seventh-most in the league.
Make sure you include that he was unvaccinated so you can push your politics into the story…what a joke.
Exactly.
Agreed!
Disagreed!
“After the unvaccinated quarterback”? WTF? I don’t want your politics. I pay to read this! Go write for ESPN if you want to preach liberal polutics! This has nothing to do with sports but everything to do with your narrow-minded political views.
Why so upset? Did they lie about something?
Merely mentioning the fact that he was unvaccinated, and reporting that his bosses are unhappy that he didn’t get vaccinated, is in no way shape or form political unless you choose to make it political.
Exactly. His coming down with Covid resulted in poor performance. Definitely a factor in his future with the team, and hence worth reporting.
Why not he shouldn’t have been allowed in the league unvaccinated anyway. Lets face it he’s a danger to all the other people in the locker room by not being vaccinated. Any player who wouldn’t take the vaccine is a fool and I wouldn’t have them on my team I dont care if I lose.
Personally I dont understand why the colts hired him to begin with but they got what they deserved in the end.
You are clueless.. End of discussion. Couldn’t pass a first grade science class.
Just cause John made it further than you in science is no reason to get upset
It’s a point as to why he’s on the out as Irsy wasn’t happy with it. Seems you’re making it political as they only described an issue without politics.
Why not state it? He was unvaccinated and it cost him a week of practice that led up to a loss. What’s the matter? Does reality bother you when it doesnt line up with your beliefs?
Y’all get triggered so easy these day!
The Branch Covidians refuse to let it go
Wentz has every right to decide to not vaccinate. And Jim Irsay has every right to be upset about it. Wentz’s not being vaccinated almost certainly affected his rate of recovery from contracting COVID, which affected his play, which affected his team’s results. Irsay is paying him top money to perform on the field, and Wentz’s deciding to not vaccinate compromised his ability to perform.
It’s not political, people. It’s bottom line and common sense. You and I can freely decide to not get vaccinated if we want, but neither of us is being paid $28 million or whatever it is to play football each year. There is freedom of choice, but choices come with consequences and choices affect others besides just you. Wentz made his choice, but it’s not at all unreasonable for Irsay, Reich, and Ballard to question that choice… and it’s perfectly fair and in fact due diligence for this article’s author to bring it up as well.
Honestly, Wentz should be delighted that “unvaccinated” is used to describe him before “terrible” or “coach killing” or “quarterback who just needed to beat the 2021-2022 Jaguars to make the playoffs and still missed the playoffs.”
Wentz played pretty well for most of the year, even with a shortage of top flight offensive weapons.
Even with a shortage of top flight offensive weapons? He had the greatest RB in the universer playing next to him.
He had ONE decent receiver.
Titans fan here, please keep Wentz. Or perhaps we’ll trade you Tanny?
The Covid vaccine is literally one of the safest medications ever made. Safer than aspirin. Safer than Tylenol.
But, sure, go ahead and lose your job over it.
“CTE, sure, sign me up…but a vaccine that billions have taken? I have to worry about my health!” – Wentz
“The covid vaccine is literally one of the safest things ever made”
old saying: It’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt
How does his vaccination status affect his cap number and play on the field?
Getting covid effected his play on the field for several weeks…all in the article.
Now, go count the number of vaccinated players who missed games this year Bcs they had covid. I’ll wait..the answer is most players
The question how did Wentzs status..not everyone’s. Not going to get in to your games. Maybe stick to subject of question.
But these players on the colts who tested positive towards end of the season and any colts player who got covid at any point last season doesnt get the same treatment? Why lmao?
Colts lost 8 games. So anyone who missed a game they lost due to covid should burden the same treatment wentz is getting. Fair is fair.
Why irsay is just mad at wentz but not mad at any player testing positive and missing games they lost cause covid protocols is pretty stupid.
link to indystar.com
Did you know natural immunity is 15x more effective than the vaccine?? Bet you didn’t. We all learn something new each day, I guess this is what you just learned today. Congratulations! Keep getting those boosters, eventually you may get enough of them to give you the same protection that you would get from natural immunity. Let’s go Brandon!
The unvaccinated are 97 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE than the vaccinated.
Did you know that? Bet you didn’t. Cuz all of those vaccinated people who tell you not to get vaccinated probably didn’t tell their pawns that.
2,500 unvaccinated people are dying every single day. RIGHT NOW.
If people want to ignore those facts to sit and wait for years to evidence of a possible slightly increased myocarditis risk because some silver spoon blowhard tells them to…that’s called Darwinism.
The pandemic is over, it’s now just Darwinism. PURE unadulterated Darwinism.
ANYONE who doesn’t want to get the vaccine should not. That’s how natural selection and evolution function properly.
Cheers.
2500 unvaccinated people are dying every single day. RIGHT NOW
Yeah that’s a lie. And anyone who has to use capital letters to pound their point home isn’t very believable
Cheers
It’s readily available information, but…whatever…
Don’t get vaccinated. It’s cool.
You’ll probably but not certainly live. If you are OK with you potentially dying for no reason other than being a dopey lemming pawn of grifters, I am OK with it as well.
The world will go on either way.
Cheers.
Wow. They got you good
But keep talking….
Cheers
Every single person telling you not to get vaccinated is vaccinated.
All of them.
A person who “did their own research” or “thought for themselves” would ask why they are all themselves vaccinated while telling you to not get vaccinated.
At least, someone who isn’t a pawn would.
See here’s the thing you don’t understand my dude. I don’t need anyone to tell me to get vaccinated or not to get vaccinated. I’m perfectly capable of making the choice for myself. Live and let live. Is that selfish? Not for me to judge. The continued conditioning to view someone’s health, self care and autonomy as “selfish” is astonishing. If you got the jab and you’re doing well, that’s all that matters. I wish you and yours nothing but the best this world and life has to offer. Just do yourself a favor and find better use for your energy instead of lecturing other folks.
Cheers
Point of order…I’ve been supporting your freedom this whole time…
“If people want to ignore those facts to sit and wait for years to evidence of a possible slightly increased myocarditis risk because some silver spoon blowhard tells them to…that’s called Darwinism.
The pandemic is over, it’s now just Darwinism. PURE unadulterated Darwinism.
ANYONE who doesn’t want to get the vaccine should not. That’s how natural selection and evolution function properly.
Cheers.”
Chuck Darwin asked for volunteers. You raised your hand.
Noble.
Whatever you say my man. ✌️
Every person was unvaccinated against omicron regardless of vaccination status. That variant made the previous shots absolutely useless.
Guess people forgot highly vaccinated states set new daily records and totals when omicron hit.
Him being vaccinated wouldnt have protected him from omicron. Nba got hit. Nfl got hit. Nhl got hit. Vaccination status did nothing to stop omicron lmao.
Rams had 30+ players test positive. Nfl had to scale back its covid testing cause everyone was getting it. So many players were testing positive.
Cool.
Nice
Rad.
Spectacular
Wondrous.
Outstanding
Fan-freakin’-tastic
Un-fukn-believable
Coolio!
Count the people on ventilators who say they wish they had gotten vaccinated.
vs
those that got vaccinated and wish they hadn’t.
Then count the number of each of those groups that ultimately die from Covid or complications from the vaccine.
Let me know what you find out.
It really doesn’t matter if your vaccinated, unvaccinated or simply lie about your health status because in the final analysis a QB who can’t beat a 2-14 team to secure a playoff berth is going to be dumped.
I’m sure Colts fans prefer Irsay worry about his own actual transgressions. Dude was a joke of the NFL like 3 years ago. This vaccine isn’t for everyone. None of them are cookie cutter one size fits all. But that’s how the big pharma wants them sold. Like it’s okay for everyone.
Cry about it.
Actually the vaccine is for everyone and hundreds of thousands of people getting it without issue prove it. Again…people like you that spout this BS about side affects, other than the normal 1-2 day normal ones talk from here-say….not actual fact.
The unvaccinated people are crazy. The reports were all over the place that Jim Irsay was upset because he wasn’t vaccinated. It’s part of the story guys, lol. Maybe some of you should stop thinking everything is about politics, especially something like a communicable disease. Next thing you’re going to tell us is that the writers are pushing a political agenda if they mention that Jerry Jones has been upset with Cooper for missing games for being unvaccinated too? Get a grip on reality people. It’s not a good look.
Irsay being mad at wentz is pretty stupid considering other games the colts lost players werent eligible to play in due to testing positive.
September to December they had players popping up on the covid list.
In fact wentz wasnt the only one on the covid list lmao
“The Colts now have nine players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list: Safety Jahleel Addae, cornerback T.J. Carrie, linebacker Malik Jefferson, linebacker Darius Leonard, running back Marlon Mack, wide receiver Zach Pascal, right tackle Braden Smith, safety Khari Willis and quarterback Carson Wentz.”
link to colts.com
You do realize that most of those players weren’t vaccinated either, don’t you? Sure you do. Furthermore, none of them are QBs. You know. The guy who touches the ball on every offensive snap.
1. Theres a reply button
2. Prove their vaccination status. Provide a source to back up your claim the other players were also unvaccinated. Considering the NFL and this website touted vaccination percentage in the high 90s, 95% or so, you sound like youre full of it.
link to nfl.com
What was that John? Couldnt hear you. Sounds like youre having breathing issues and heart failure from your vaccine.
The Colts were notoriously the team that had the lowest vaccine rate. This is well documented dummy. It was cited ahead of the season last year that both Leonard and Wentz, two of their most important players, were unvaccinated, and it was also cited how they had one of the lowest vaccine rates among teams along with the Commanders. It’s not my fault that you’re too stupid to realize this and still are insisting that the writers are pointing out that Wentz’s owner and in turn his front office and coach who brought him there were upset with him because outside of playing like wet garbage, he also unnecessarily missed practice time down the stretch because he’s slow like you and thinks a safe vaccine is going to kill him. Keep believing all of the people who were first in line for theirs though who tell you that you’re smarter than the rest of us, lol.