Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was furious after the season ended and his team missed the playoffs. Those bitter feelings still linger, and Irsay’s comments indicate a move from quarterback Carson Wentz had to be made.
Speaking before the NFL’s Annual League Meeting in Palm Beach, Fla. on Tuesday, Irsay spoke at length about the reasons for trading the QB after one season.
“I think the worst thing you can do is make a mistake and try to move on with it,” Irsay said of the Indy star. “For us, it was something we had to move away from as a franchise. It was very obvious.”
Irsay noted the loss in the season finale to the three-win Jaguars as the last drop. The 11-26 loss that kept the Colts out of the playoffs was a sad affair that wasn’t even as close as the final score.
“No disrespect to Jacksonville but I mean they are the worst team in the league. You’re playing good and hard in the first quarter or so, and they want to go to their dressing room and clean it up. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life,” Irsay said. “You’re like, ‘My God, there’s something wrong here.’ It needs to be corrected. I think we feel like we did it.
It’s clear that Irsay blamed Wentz for the team’s inability to face the situation.
“Your guy has to pick you up and carry you around Jacksonville,” Irsay said. “He has to do it. No option. Got to. No excuses, no explanations.”
Irsay’s somber look at Wentz had less to do with the quarterback’s struggles on the field — though those certainly came to light in the stretch of the season, which saw the QB threw under 230 yards in each of the last five games. For Irsay, Wentz lacked the leadership in the dressing room that the owner desires.
“They look for the right chemistry with each team,” Irsay said. “It’s as important in football as it is in any sport out there. When that chemistry isn’t there, when it’s not there, it can be extremely damaging and degrade performance to a degree that is breathtaking and shocking.”
Irsay added: “For us, the fit just wasn’t right. I do not know why. Often you don’t know why, but you know it’s not, and it was important for us to move in a different direction.”
With both deeds and words, Irsay laid the blame for the disappointing season at Wentz’s feet. Significant changes were promised after the season ended, but the only major change the Colts made was the quarterback. The trainer and GM both returned.
In the end, Indy found a taker for Wentz and somehow convinced Washington to send back a third-round pick and an extra-conditioned third-rounder for a quarterback the Colts would likely cut.
“I think it was really remarkable and a great tribute to Chris to generate strong commercial interest and close the deal with Washington,” Irsay said. “I’m not losing the fact that if things don’t happen at this level it’s been a pretty big blessing from the football gods where we have been and where we could be. You ended up cutting Carson and we wouldn’t get anything.”
Stumbling into Matt Ryan was a bonus for Irsay and the Colts. You’ve gone from being a player whose presence in the dressing room was suspicious to one whose reputation with teammates is near-pristine.