The writing was on the wall for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz when his team drafted Jalen Hurts in the 2020 NFL Draft, and even more so when Hurts ended the season as the Eagles starting quarterback over Wentz. With trade rumors swirling around the former second overall pick, there was much speculation as to where the quarterback would play during the 2021-22 NFL season.
The Wentz trade drama didn’t play out too long though, with Adam Schefter breaking news of the quarterback’s trade on Thursday morning.
Wentz was drafted by the Eagles in 2016 with the second overall pick, coming out of North Dakota State. In his second season in the league, Wentz held an 11-2 record as a starter and put the Eagles in position to make a run at the Super Bowl. Philadelphia did win the Super Bowl over the New England Patriots, but with Nick Foles as the quarterback and Wentz sidelined due to injury. Over the next three seasons, Wentz posted a 17-21-1 record as a starter, leading to his exit this offseason.
The Eagles assume a $33.8 million dead cap charge, the largest amount for any player in NFL history, in order to unload Wentz from their roster.
The Indianapolis Colts are coming off a solid season where they qualified for the postseason and even challenged the Tennessee Titans for the AFC South crown. But veteran Philip Rivers’ tenure with the Colts was ultimately a one-and-done, as the long-time ironman quarterback called it a career and retired earlier this offseason.
In a league where star quarterbacks are often worth multiple first-round picks, the Colts may be getting away with a steal here. Indianapolis surrenders just two picks: a third-round pick in this year’s upcoming draft, and a conditional second-round pick that could become a first round pick in 2022.
The 2021 NFL offseason offers tons of intriguing storylines featuring some of the league’s most talented quarterbacks. This trade removes Wentz from the quarterback market, and gives the Colts their starter for next season, and ideally, for years to come. For Philadelphia, the trade ends the relatively short Carson Wentz era, and ushers in a new chapter with Jalen Hurts as the Eagles starting quarterback.
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