The Indianapolis Colts provided an announcement on Friday regarding the status of quarterback Carson Wentz.
Wentz got hurt in the preseason but recovered in time to play in Week 1. However, he injured his ankles in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams, putting his status for Week 3 in question.
Wentz did not practice the first few days of the week, however, he participated in Friday’s practice. That led the Colts to announce that Wentz will be a game-time decision on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
This is big for Indianapolis. As of Thursday, the word was there wasn’t much optimism surrounding Wentz’s status for Week 3. But by practicing on Friday, he made the possibility of playing on Sunday realistic.
If Wentz is unable to play, the Colts will decide between backup Jacob Eason, and practice squad quarterback Brett Hundley. Hundley got the majority of the first-team reps on Wednesday. Either Eason or Hundley would be a large downgrade at quarterback for the Colts against a divisional opponent.
Carson Wentz injured both of his ankles in the Indianapolis Colts’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams last week, and it has been widely assumed that he will miss at least one game. Perhaps that will not be the case.
Wentz was a surprise participant in practice on Friday, which puts him on track to play in Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans.
Wentz had not practiced this week prior to that, which is why the development was unexpected. The Colts gave Brett Hundley the majority of first-team reps in practice on Thursday, which many took as an indication that he could start in Week 3 over primary backup Jacob Eason.
One of the things that has held Wentz back throughout his career is his inability to stay on the field. A Philadelphia Eagles executive alluded to that with his harsh assessment of Wentz’s time with the team recently. Perhaps Wentz is prepared to play hurt to shake that reputation.
Carson Wentz left Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams with what was described as an ankle injury, but apparently the Indianapolis Colts quarterback hurt both of his ankles.
Wentz sprained both his left and right ankles in his team’s 27-24 loss to the Rams, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media. He is scheduled to undergo tests on Monday to determine the severity.
Wentz completed 20-of-31 passes for 247 yards, a touchdown and an interception on Sunday. Jacob Eason finished the game for the Colts. It’s possible that Wentz injured one ankle and was able to play through it but then had to sit when he hurt both.
One of the things that has held Wentz back throughout his career is his inability to stay on the field. A Philadelphia Eagles executive alluded to that with his harsh assessment of Wentz’s time with the team recently. Hopefully the latest injuries don’t force Wentz to miss much time.
NFL contracts are often a hot-button issue. People love to debate who is making too much, too little, who deserves more, and who is overpaid. Some athletes outperform their deals, while others cash in and fail to deliver. Teams obviously try hard to avoid the latter situation, but sometimes things don’t work out as hoped.
With all of that in mind, here is a look at the five worst contracts in the NFL.
5. Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions
Some are not going to like the inclusion of Jared Goff on this list, but at four years and $134 million, with $110 million guaranteed, he is the ninth-highest paid QB in the NFL (average annual salary). That’s a lot of coin for a guy who isn’t a top-10 quarterback. Sure, there is some value to Goff — he completes passes at a high percentage and will put up the yards — but there’s a reason he got shipped off to Detroit. Maybe the fresh start will serve Goff well. But if his inconsistency issues, lack of an internal clock and ability to make decision when things break down don’t improve, the acquisition will be a losing gamble for the Lions. Luckily for Detroit, they’ll have an “out” in 2022 if they desire to move on.
4. Whitney Mercilus, LB, Houston Texans
Whitney Mercilus was a first-round pick of the Texans during the 2012 NFL Draft and has never taken a single snap for another team. Mercilus still being with the same team is impressive. His four-year, $54 million deal with $28.5 million guaranteed on the other hand? That deal is not so impressive. While it’s admirable that Houston has opted to keep Mercilus around, he has hardly warranted being paid like a top-10 edge rusher. The 31-year-old has recorded just 11.5 sacks over 29 games since signing his massive deal. His career-high of 12.0 sacks (2015) seems like a distant memory. He also recorded a career-low PFF grade of 39.5 a season ago, which shows how far he has fallen. Mercilus agreed to restructure his contract in March and has a $7 million dead cap figure for next year.
3. Robert Quinn, DE, Chicago Bears
After appearing to revitalize his career with the Dallas Cowboys in 2019, the Bears were quick to sign Quinn last offseason to a five-year, $70 million deal including $30 million guaranteed. They also gave him a $30 million signing bonus, costing the team a total of $18.6 in cash assets the first year. What did they get for their hefty investment? 20 tackles and a career-low 2.0 sacks in 15 games. The 31-year-old Quinn, who also earned poor PFF grades, still has some time to turn things back around. But at least for now, it looks like a costly and potentially losing gamble by the Bears.
2. Landon Collins, S, Washington Football Team
Collins is a solid box defender and good locker-room leader, but he’s not among the league’s best all-around talents at safety. That’s why the New York Giants were content with letting him go. Washington, of course, saw things differently and signed him to a six-year, $84 million contract with $12.5 million in guarantees back in 2019. Everyone knew at the time that contract would not age well. Two years later, here we are. Now, Collins is coming off a serious Achilles injury. In his absence last year, Washington’s secondary didn’t miss a beat. Looking ahead to 2022, Collins’ dead cap hit drops significantly. It’s possible (if not likely) that the WFT decide to part ways with the 27-year-old.
1. Carson Wentz, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Investing in players with an injury history is always risky business. Investing in players with an injury history who have also played at very inconsistent levels is even riskier business. But that’s exactly what the Eagles did in 2019 when they signed Wentz to a four-year, $128 million deal with $108 million guaranteed. The Colts acquired Wentz despite his contract. Their immediate return? An injured Carson Wentz.
The good news is that Wentz is set to play in Week 1. But that may just be the tip of the iceberg for him. He has appeared in more than 13 games just twice in his career, and his 2017 performance now looks like a fluke.
The Philadelphia Eagles made it clear that they didn’t have all that much faith in Carson Wentz when they drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round last year, but general manager Howie Roseman insists that was nothing personal.
During an appearance on the WIP Morning Show on Wednesday, Roseman was asked about the Eagles’ decision to draft Hurts 53rd overall in 2020. He gave a blunt response about Wentz’s inability to stay on the field.
“We loved Carson, but we played four (six) playoff games, and we’ve needed our backup quarterback and all of them,” Roseman said, via Chris Franklin of NJ Advance Media. “It’s too important of a position not to have that. I think that just thinking about where we were at the moment, and I think it was the right thing to do. It’s a hard decision, but it was the right thing to do.”
Wentz tore his ACL late in the 2017 season and fractured a vertebrae in his back midway through the 2018 campaign.
Roseman went on to note that the San Francisco 49ers have found themselves in a similar situation, as they took a quarterback third overall this season even after Jimmy Garoppolo led them to the Super Bowl two years ago. Niners GM John Lynch has spoken openly about Garoppolo’s injury history.
There was some speculation this offseason that the Eagles don’t believe in Hurts and were looking to trade for a quarterback. However, the hype surrounding the former Alabama star has been rapidly building ahead of the season.
If Wentz becomes a star with the Indianapolis Colts, it might sting a little for Roseman. As of now, however, there is no reason to question the his decision to draft Hurts.
Carson Wentz is on track to start in Week 1 as he works his way back from foot surgery, according to Indianapolis Colts coach Frank Reich.
Wentz took part in full team drills Thursday, though with some limitations. The Colts’ plan is to take those restrictions off next Wednesday, and as long as there are no setbacks, Wentz will start in Week 1.
The Colts announced Wentz’s surgery on Aug. 2, and gave him a timetable of 5-to-12 weeks. It certainly looks like Wentz is going to hit the low end of that, maybe even beating the most optimistic timetable.
Wentz has looked sharp in practice and has had no setbacks so far. At this point, it seems safe to pencil him in as the starting quarterback for Sept. 12 against Seattle.
Carson Wentz is back on the practice field after undergoing foot surgery, and the Indianapolis Colts quarterback is clearly feeling bullish about playing in Week 1.
Wentz said Monday he was ready and willing to play in the Colts’ opener even if he is less than 100 percent, as long as team doctors tell him that there isn’t much risk of aggravating the injury.
This won’t be solely up to Wentz, of course. The Colts have to feel comfortable playing him, and they won’t feel a lot of incentive to rush him back if they don’t feel he’s ready.
Still, Wentz looked pretty sharp on video in his return to practice. Maybe his Week 1 chances are pretty good after all.
The Indianapolis Colts initially gave a very broad recovery timeline after Carson Wentz underwent foot surgery, but the quarterback appears to be on track to play in Week 1.
Wentz returned to practice on Monday, and the Colts shared a video that showed him running and cutting in both directions. He appeared put pressure on both feet and appeared to have no limitations.
That is obviously a great sign. The Colts announced on Aug. 2 that Wentz needed foot surgery and would miss anywhere from 5-12 weeks. That was three weeks ago, and Wentz is already cutting at practice.
One rival coach poked fun at the Colts over their estimated recovery timeline for Wentz. In fairness, they probably didn’t know how his foot would respond until the procedure was complete. Now that he is clearly progressing quickly, it seems safe to assume Wentz will be ready to play at the start of the regular season.
The Indianapolis Colts might have quarterback Carson Wentz back soon after all.
Colts coach Frank Reich said Sunday that Wentz and offensive lineman Quenton Nelson are both set to begin limited practice this week as they work their way back from foot injuries.
This doesn’t necessarily mean Wentz and Nelson are on the verge of returning, but it’s indisputably good news for the Colts. There was an initial fear that Wentz might be out through October after he underwent foot surgery at the start of August. However, there seems to be growing optimism that he could be ready at or near the start of the regular season, which would be at the lower end of his initial timeline. This news seems to back that up further.
Wentz threw for 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2020. The Colts traded for the 28-year-old in the offseason with the hope that a change of scenery and a reunion with Reich would help revive his career.
The Indianapolis Colts still don’t know how long they’ll be without quarterback Carson Wentz, but the team isn’t going to make a panic move even if their starter isn’t ready for Week 1.
According to Zak Keefer of The Athletic, the Colts themselves do not yet know whether Wentz will be ready for Week 1 after undergoing foot surgery, and owner Jim Irsay has indicated that the team will not let Wentz play until they are confident he is 100 percent. However, there doesn’t appear to be much urgency to bring in a stopgap, as all indications are that the team will let either Sam Ehlinger or Jacob Eason hold the job until Wentz is ready to go.
There had been some speculation that the Colts might look into adding a favorite of coach Frank Reich until Wentz is healthy. That seems unlikely. It also doesn’t make sense, as there’s no real need to add a quarterback if Wentz might only miss a couple weeks.
The sense of urgency is further lessened by the fact that one of the Colts’ young quarterbacks seems to be turning some heads in camp. If that continues, the Colts are likely to be comfortable going with him in Week 1 if Wentz isn’t ready.
