Carson Wentz could surprisingly be in line to start for one AFC team in 2025 if things break the right way.
Wentz and the Cleveland Browns have mutual interest as a bridge quarterback if the Browns fail to land Russell Wilson, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. The Browns are still among several teams to be waiting on a decision from Wilson regarding where he wants to play next season.
The Browns like Wentz enough to potentially entrust him with a starting job, if only for one season. He would also be significantly cheaper than Wilson financially, which may come into play given the money the Browns have tied up in Deshaun Watson.
Wentz’s last starting gig came in 2022 with the Washington Commanders. He threw for 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions in eight games and ultimately lost the job to Taylor Heinicke. His numbers were good in 2021 with the Indianapolis Colts, as he threw for 3,563 yards and 27 touchdowns against just seven interceptions, but his leadership skills were criticized and the team traded him after a late-season collapse.
Wentz has spent the last two seasons purely as a backup. He reached the Super Bowl in 2024 while sitting behind Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Browns had previously been linked to Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins. However, the chances of a move for Cousins went down significantly when the Falcons paid out the quarterback’s roster bonus last weekend.
At this point, it is clear that Wentz will never again be the player who looked like he was on his way to an MVP award with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017. The Browns apparently believe he can tide them over for one year while they look for other options, though it would not exactly be an inspiring choice.
