Colts GM offers strong hint about Carson Wentz’s future with team

Carson Wentz cannot be feeling great about his job security with the Indianapolis Colts after listening to what general manager Chris Ballard had to say on Thursday.

Ballard was asked by a reporter if Wentz will return as the starting quarterback in 2022. He would not commit and only said that the Colts felt acquiring Wentz in a trade last offseason was the right move “at the time.” He also said Wentz needs to play better.

Ballard on Carson Wentz: "At the time (of the trade), we felt it was the right decision. I’m not going to make a comment on who is going to be here next year and who isn't … I thought Carson did some good things, and I thought there are some things he needs to do a lot better."

— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) January 13, 2022

That’s not exactly a strong endorsement, or really any endorsement at all. Ballard was also asked what he and Wentz spoke about in their season-ending meeting this week. It doesn’t sound like the conversation was a particularly positive one.

Something Chris Ballard said to Carson Wentz in their season-ending meeting yesterday: "Make the layups. Just make the layups."

— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) January 13, 2022

I think this is pretty revealing, from Ballard, after Wentz's struggles in Weeks 17 and 18: "We’ve got a lot of good players and a lot of good pieces. You’ve got to have stability at the QB position, and he has to play up to his potential."

— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) January 13, 2022

Without explicitly saying it, Ballard essentially confirmed that the Colts are going to look for an upgrade at the quarterback position. That isn’t a huge shock, especially after head coach Frank Reich was also noncommittal when asked about Wentz earlier in the week.

Wentz finished the season with 3,563 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He played poorly in Week 17 against the Las Vegas Raiders and in the season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts could have made the playoffs by winning either game. They were a heavy favorite in both. They were ruthlessly trolled on social media after losing to the Jags.

The Colts acquired Wentz in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles last offseason. They initially sent a third-round pick to Philly, but it turned into a first-round pick when Wentz played 75 percent of the offensive snaps this season. Unless the Colts keep Wentz and he leads them to the playoffs next season, it’s hard to view the trade as anything other than a failure.

Photo: Nov 28, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz (2) drops back to pass in the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports