The Philadelphia Eagles traded a 2018 fourth-round pick to the Indianapolis Colts for quarterback Carson Wentz on Thursday, and that seems like an awful lot of value for a player who hasn’t played since December 2017.
With his adoring fans in attendance at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Friday night, he was introduced as their “new franchise quarterback.” The team is clearly expecting great things from him this year and even went so far as to sign Nick Foles — now with the Kansas City Chiefs — away before free agency began. And while it may be too early to tell what kind of impact Wentz will have this season, there are some factors suggesting he might not be worth it yet.,
The “are colts getting rid of carson wentz” is the question that everyone has been asking. The Indianapolis Colts have drafted a number of players to replace Carson Wentz, so it would be best for him to stay healthy and not play for them.
Carson Wentz doesn’t have many good reasons to defend his team’s worst-ever collapse in 2021 with the Indianapolis Colts. In the last stages of the season, he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn and became a burden rather than a leader. Indianapolis traded him to the Washington Commanders this summer and subsequently acquired Matt Ryan from the Atlanta Falcons as a result of his performance.
If Wentz had one legitimate beef with Indianapolis last season, it was the fact that it lacked weapons in the passing game. As a result of the Colts’ outstanding 2022 NFL Draft, the quarterback is likely sick to his stomach.
In the NFL Draft of 2022, the Colts acquired weapons.
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Carson Wentz’s wide receiver depth was lacking in 2021 for the Colts.
No one else had more than 390 receiving yards than Michael Pittman Jr., who had 88 receptions for 1,082 yards and six touchdowns. With 384 yards, Pascal, Zach was the team’s second-leading receiver.
That might have contributed to Wentz’s bad performance at the conclusion of the season. He passed for just 154.6 yards per game, six touchdowns, and two interceptions in the team’s last five games, completing only 61.02 percent of his throws.
Indianapolis, on the other hand, is ensuring that rookie quarterback Matt Ryan has more weapons than Pittman. In the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, it selected former Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Alec Pierce. Pierce is a large guy who stands 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 213 pounds. In 2021, he helped Cincinnati grab 52 catches for 884 yards and eight touchdowns with to his speed (4.41 40-yard sprint).
In the third round, the Colts picked former Virginia tight end Jelani Woods. Last season, Woods had 44 receptions for 598 yards and eight touchdowns after previously playing quarterback. He’s also a monster athlete, weighing 275 pounds and standing 6 feet 7 inches tall.
Last season, Wentz might have made advantage of his athleticism, but Indianapolis decided not to address the wide receiver position in the 2021 draft (other than a seventh-round pick). The squad concentrated on defense, but no one has yet broken through.
So, why are the Colts investing more in Ryan’s development than they did in Wentz’s? It’s unknown, but the latter is unlikely to be pleased.
Indy’s dismal receiving stats may partly be attributed to Carson Wentz.
The Indianapolis Colts’ Carson Wentz poses before a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Jan. 9, 2022. Getty Images/Julio Aguilar
Although Matt Ryan will have greater weapons than Carson Wentz, the guys who failed to produce last season are not entirely to blame.
Only Michael Pittman Jr. and Jonathan Taylor had higher stats with Wentz than they had with Philip Rivers the year before (not counting Parris Campbell who only played in two games in 2020 due to injury). But it was most likely due to Pittman’s and Taylor’s usage percentages, as well as the fact that they were both rookies with Rivers.
Take a peek at the statistics of some of the other players during the previous two years.
| 2020 | 2021 | |
| Hilton, T.Y. | 50.8 yards per game, 56 receptions, 762 yards, 5 touchdowns | 33.1 yards per game, 23 receptions, 331 yards, 3 touchdowns |
| Pascal, Zach | 44 receptions, 629 yards, 5 touchdowns, 39.3 yards per game | 38 receptions, 384 yards, 3 touchdowns, 24.0 yards per game |
| Nyheim Hines is a fictional character created by Nyheim Hines | 30.1 yards per game, 63 receptions, 482 yards, 4 touchdowns | 40 receptions, 310 yards, 1 touchdown, 18.2 yards per game |
| Alie-Cox, Mo | 31 receptions for 394 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 26.3 yards per game. | 24 receptions, 316 yards, 4 touchdowns, 18.6 yards per game |
| Doyle, Jack | 23 receptions, 251 yards, 3 touchdowns, 17.9 yards per game | 29 receptions, 302 yards, 3 touchdowns, 17.8 yards per game |
Even if Wentz was still with the Colts and had their current weapons, who’s to say he would flourish? He missed a lot of throws last season and rarely looked for the check-down receivers (that’s why Nyheim Hines is a fictional character created by Nyheim Hines, essentially a poor man’s Deebo Samuel, saw his production take a hit).
Matt Ryan will, without a doubt, have more weapons for the Colts in 2022. He is, though, the proper guy to be slinging such passes. Last season, Carson Wentz didn’t make the most of his players’ ability.
Pro Football Reference provided the statistics.
RELATED: Indianapolis Colts: Philip Rivers Considered a Comeback Following Carson Wentz’s Trade
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