Indianapolis Colts News & Rumors

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 will try and avoid surgery on his injured foot (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). If all goes well after rest and rehab, the Colts quarterback could be available for the season opener. But, if his condition does not improve, Wentz will be forced to go under the knife and miss the start of the 2021 season. 

Wentz is looking to reboot his career under old pal Frank Reich. But, before he can mount his return, he’ll need to get the green light from team doctors and independent specialists. For now, he’s been kept off of the practice field.

The Colts intend to use Wentz as their Week 1 starter. But, if he can’t go, they’ll have to rely on the likes of second-year QB Jacob Eason and Sam Ehlinger. Longtime stopgap Jacoby Brissett is no longer in the fold, so the Colts are short on options.

“He’s with the docs, trying to figure what out the process is,” offensive coordinator Marcus Brady said last week. “[We’re] still evaluating what the next move is, how bad it is. Then we’ll go from there.”

Wentz was once considered one of the league’s best young quarterbacks. However, it’s been a while since his Pro Bowl nod in 2017. His final year with the Eagles was a mess and resulted in Jalen Hurts ascending to the starting job. Hurts was first-string for four of his 15 games, completing 52% of his passes for 1,061 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also added another 354 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 63 carries, prompting the Eagles to trade him to the Colts for a package of draft picks.

The Eagles received a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional 2022 second-round for the QB. That conditional choice could turn into a first-round selection if Wentz plays 75% of the snaps or 70% with a playoff appearance.

Colts quarterback Carson Wentz has suffered a foot injury that will sideline him for an undetermined period of time (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo). Garafolo doesn’t sense that the Colts are panicking about it, but it’s definitely a situation to watch as the season draws near. 

“He’s with the docs, trying to figure what out the process is,” offensive coordinator Marcus Brady said on Friday (via ESPN.com). “Still evaluating what the next move is, how bad it is. Then we’ll go from there.”

It’s a frustrating setback for Wentz, who is looking to reboot his career under old pal Frank Reich. He is/was slated to be the Week 1 starter for the Colts and they no longer have Jacoby Brissett as a Plan B. Beyond Wentz, the Colts have second-year QB Jacob Eason and Sam Ehlinger — needless to say, they don’t offer the same level of experience or upside.

Wentz will hope for a speedy recovery as he looks to regain his 2017 Pro Bowl form. He was a far cry from that in his final year with the Eagles, before ceding the job to Jalen Hurts. Hurts went on to start in four of his 15 appearances, completing 52% of his passes for 1,061 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also added another 354 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 63 carries, showcasing better mobility than the former No. 2 overall pick.