Colts trade Carson Wentz to Commanders, back into NFC East originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Carson Wentz is coming back to the NFC East.
The former Eagles quarterback is being traded from the Indianapolis Colts to the Washington Commanders, NBC Sports Washington confirmed. ESPN first reported the trade.
Get Philly local news, weather forecasts, sports and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters.
According to ESPN, Washington’s package for Wentz includes two third-round picks.
This means the Eagles will play Wentz twice next season, once at FedExField and once at Lincoln Financial Field, where he’ll return to play the team that once drafted him with the No. 2 overall pick.
Wentz, 29, lasted just one year in Indianapolis with Frank Reich and the Colts. His numbers weren’t bad in 2021. He threw for 3,563 yards with 27 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, but floundered down the stretch and the Colts’ brass has been non-committal all offseason.
Last week at the NFL combine, Colts GM Chris Ballard had some downright icy comments about his quarterback, who he gave up a first-round pick to get.
“Ultimately, you have to have a guy you believe in and can win with,” Ballard said. “That will play some into it but ultimately we’ll make the decision we think is best both in the short and the long-term.”
That, of course, led to a follow-up question about why the Colts didn’t believe in Wentz.
“Not saying we don’t (believe in Wentz) but in the long-term best interest for us, I think as we sit down and work through if Carson is the long-term best answer or not is the best way I can put it,” he said. “We’re not there yet. I’m not there yet. That’s something we’ll talk about as a group and we’ll move forward with as a group. Whatever decision we make will be the best decision for us.”
Last February, the Eagles traded Wentz to the Colts for a 2022 conditional second-round pick. That pick turned into a first-rounder after Wentz played over 70% of Indianapolis’ snaps in 2021.
Wentz is gone before the Eagles even get to use that No. 16 pick.
(More coming…)
