Carson Wentz Future With Colts Looking “Bleak”, Could Be Traded From Team

The Colts thought that they may have had their future QB when they traded with the Philadelphia Eagles to bring Carson Wentz to the team last offseason. Now it sounds like the winds of change are flowing through Indianapolis as we approach the 2022 season. NFL Insider Chris Mortensen made an appearance on ESPN Sunday morning and stated that Carson Wentz’s time in Indy could be coming to a close quicker than some initially thought.

Mortensen is quoted as saying:

“For Carson Wentz and the Indianapolis Colts, it looks bleak. Yes, the Colts did not give him support verbally after the season. Said that they weren’t guaranteeing him anything. Well, right now, it looks bleak. And by March 18, he’ll probably be traded or released. That’s when $15 million of his base salary is guaranteed. So, for Carson Wentz and the Colts, it looks like a one-year marriage that went wrong.”

~ Chris Mortensen

There's a belief that #Colts QB Carson Wentz will "'probably" be traded or released before March 19th, per @mortreport. That's when $15M in base salary becomes guaranteed. His future in Indianapolis looks "bleak."

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) February 13, 2022

Despite missing most of training camp with ankle injuries ahead of the regular season, Wentz started pretty well over the first half of the season. Over the first nine weeks of the season, Wentz led the Colts to a 4-5 record but threw for 2,198 yards, 17 touchdowns, and just 4 interceptions with a 100.1 passer rating. Wentz was averaging 244.4 passing yards per game over that span. However, in the second half of the season, Wentz’s yardage numbers took a steep hit dropping down to just 170.6 yards per game. He also saw production drops in other areas like passer rating (87.1), completion percentage (61.1% from 63.3%), and yards per attempt (from 7.3 to 6.3) over the final eight games of the season.

March 19th will certainly be a hot date as the Colts could move on from Wentz via trade or cut to avoid that $15 million guaranteed base salary. Even with the possibility of the Colts moving on from the former Eagles quarterback, there’s still a chance for him to land a starting job in the NFL. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking for life after their franchise quarterbacks after Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady retired at the end of the season. The Washington Commanders and New Orleans Saints are also in the market to find another starting QB as well.

Wentz now has to take a good, long look in the mirror in order to fix whatever seems to be his issue. This would put him potentially on his third team in just three seasons. If Wentz doesn’t right the ship, his next stop could very well be his last.