Breaking Down the Carson Wentz Trade

(Image: AP Photo/Roger Steinman)

A wild offseason for NFL quarterbacks just got more wild. Jared Goff was traded from the Los Angeles Rams to the Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford, the ongoing Deshaun Watson, Drew Brees, and Aaron Rodgers sagas, and now, Carson Wentz.

Carson Wentz was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Indianapolis Colts for a 2021 third-round draft pick and a conditional 2022 second-round pick. The second-round pick can turn into a first round pick if Wentz plays 75% of the Colts' snaps in 2021 or if Wentz plays 70% of the Colts' snaps and the Colts' make the playoffs. They did make the playoffs for the 2020 season. The trade leaves the Eagles with an NFL-record $33.8 million dead salary cap charge for 2021.

The trade reunites Wentz with former Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich as his head coach. While being coached by Frank Reich, Wentz had his best season in 2017 before going down for the season with a knee injury. During that 2017 season, Wentz led the Eagles to an 11-2 record, threw for 3,296 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, and was the leading candidate for the MVP at the time he was ruled out for the season.

Wentz is going to a fairly better situation in Indianapolis than the one he came from in Philadelphia. Last season the Colts had the number 10 ranked offense as well as the number 12 ranked defense. The Philadelphia Eagles offense was ranked number 26 while their defense was ranked number 23.

The trade was left with mixed emotions among the Philly fans. Some have said that it is not really fair to give up on Wentz after one bad season and that he has been stellar otherwise. Others have said that Wentz has regressed since his knee injury in 2017 and that it is time for the Eagles to get younger and start rebuilding.

Regardless, the Eagles are left with an uncertain future at quarterback. Will Jalen Hurts be QB1 next season? Or will the Eagles look to draft one of Justin Fields, Trey Lance, trade up for Zach Wilson or someone else in this years upcoming NFL Draft? Time surely will tell as the Eagles have a lot of work to do this offseason.