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Frank Reich did his best on Tuesday afternoon to keep alive the opportunity for Carson Wentz to return to the Indianapolis Colts as their starting quarterback in 2022.
The coach, whose approval of Wentz helped convince his team to trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for Wentz and his big off-season contract, would not lie that Wentz will definitely return to India in Year 2.
But he would not throw his husband under the proverbial bus either.
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Carson Wentz II of the Indianapolis Colts spoke with head coach Frank Reich of the Indianapolis Colts during the game against the New York Jets at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 4, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
(Michael Hickey / Getty Images)
“I know I believe in Carson,” Reich said. “I believe in him. I laid out my neck for him. I was a big part of that decision to bring him here. I believe that he will continue to have many successes as a quarterback. This may be here, this may not be here. That decision has yet to be determined. “
Yes, he left.
It’s March and the Colts had almost two months to evaluate the quarterback they had all last season, but would you like to believe that their evaluation continues?
“I thought that this year, compared to 2020, we somehow got back on track – we defended the ball well, we made some good plays,” Reich told Wentz. “On the positive side, we emphasize the relationship between touchdown and interception and it was where you want it to be. It was a good step, it was a good step from 2020.
“So we will continue to evaluate. The process is underway. We know everyone in this business and everything is valued every year. The second part of this process is that the head coach and the quarterback are under the most attention. So we’re in the middle of the process. “
Folks, this is the process: Wentz rode an amusement park during the season and ended badly, securing his worst outing in the season finale against a terrible team with the playoffs on the line.
And on March 19, this inconsistent quarterback, who is owed $ 22 million, should also receive a bonus from the list of $ 6.294 million. But the trade will clear all $ 28.294 million of them from Indianapolis books.
So if Wentz doesn’t play really well in all the games scheduled for now and March 19 (none), the Colts are moving in a different direction – either by cutting him off or preferably swapping him.
This raises another issue because the Colts will not be involved in an attack on Wildcat or Wing T next year, so they need a new person to play quarterback.
December 18, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz (2) reached out to pass the ball in the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium.
(Mark LeBrick-USA TODAY Sports)
And they need one that is preferably an upgrade.
“I think there are a lot of things in the evaluation process, how he played, it’s dynamic,” said Reich. “It’s complicated, I have to say, it’s complicated. No one is an island unto themselves, that’s the whole picture.”
So the photo should include a replacement for Wentz. And the thing is that the deputy will almost certainly be a veteran.
We know this because the decision to move from Wentz must be made before the draft. And since Reich admitted on Tuesday that he has done very little work in studying the group of quarterbacks that will come out in this year’s draft. And because Indy doesn’t even have a choice in the first round anyway.
This means that the new Colts quarterback, a team ready to win now, will be a veteran.
So we know how the Colts will replace Wentz. But how will they upgrade?
Will they exchange Indianapolis for Jimmy Garopolo? It is not certain that the 49ers will move completely from Garopolo.
The return of Philip Rivers? He had a good season for the Colts in 2020, but is now 40 years old and has been suspended from his last game for a year.
Nick Falls? Reich was his quarterback coach in Philadelphia when the Eagles won the Super Bowl. Foles played well as a backup quarterback for Philadelphia. But Foles was a disaster every time the team signed him up to be their starting quarterback.
Mitchell Trumpets? This seems a more likely direction.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Mitchell Trubiski passes through the first half of an NFL preseason game against the Chicago Bears on Saturday, August 21, 2021, in Chicago.
(AP Photo / David Banks)
Trubyski never lived up to expectations after being ranked No. 2 overall by the Chicago Bears in 2017. But he had a winning record as a Bears quarterback each of his last three years on the team.
And he seems to have restored his trust and reputation in the league, serving as a backup in Buffalo in 2021.
So this seems like a move the Colts are willing to make – to sign an experienced reserve as a free agent.
This will give the Colts their fifth starting quarterback in five seasons.
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“Whatever happens in the end, whether it’s five in five years or if Carson comes back, but that decision is played out in the end, you play the hand they give you,” Reich said. “And just try to play a winning hand …”