Carson Wentz failed to perform in big games down the stretch in his lone season with the Indianapolis Colts, but that is apparently not the main reason the veteran was traded earlier this week.
According to Zak Keefer of The Athletic, some within the Colts organization had decided they wanted to move on from Wentz long before the quarterback was largely responsible for an improbable collapse. Why? The same issues that supposedly plagued Wentz in Philadelphia still existed in Indianapolis.
One source told Keefer that people with the Colts were frustrated with Wentz’s leadership skills, or lack thereof. Some also felt Wentz was not receptive to coaching and that has reckless style of play was a big factor in several close losses.
Colts head coach Frank Reich, who was Wentz’s offensive coordinator with the Eagles, pushed for Indy to acquire Wentz last offseason. He apologized to Colts owner Jim Irsay after the 2021 season, according to Keefer.
You might think talk of Wentz being a poor leader is part of a smear campaign by the Colts. There are a couple of reasons that is probably not the case. For starters, they did not need to justify trading him to the Washington Commanders. Wentz clearly wasn’t going to take Indianapolis to the next level. Most fans are happy to see him go.
The other reason is that we have heard similar talk about Wentz before. There was an unflattering report in 2018 about him being a bad teammate, and Wentz seemed to acknowledge there was truth behind it. The former first-round pick has long been viewed as someone who butts heads with teammates and is difficult to coach.
Perhaps Ron Rivera will have better luck with Wentz. The talent is obviously there, but that hasn’t translated into consistent high-level play.
Photo: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
