PALM BEACH, Fla. — Indianapolis Colts coach Frank Reich traded from Carson Wentz, but he’s not bouncing on what he thinks the quarterback can still do in the NFL now that he’s in Washington.
“I really think he can be a top 10 quarterback,” Reich said. “That is not a matter of course. That has to be earned and proven, so let’s all hope that happens for him.”
The Colts sold Wentz to the Washington Commanders earlier this month, a year after acquiring him from the Philadelphia Eagles. Washington traded second-round picks with the Colts and sent them a third-round pick plus a conditional third. Washington also received a seventh-round pick.
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Although Reich said the decision to trade him was unanimous, he remains confident in Wentz’s potential. He was the offensive coordinator for Wentz’s first two seasons in Philadelphia, including 2017 when the quarterback was considered an MVP contender before tearing his ACL.
“I love the guy, I really do. And I think he’s a really good quarterback,” Reich said. “He’s going to play really well for the commanders and I’m looking forward to seeing that. … We as an organization held Carson in high esteem in many ways. Obviously we acted for him. But secondly, sometimes you can’t explain everything. You want, but you only have to take one step that you see fit.”
Last season, Wentz threw 27 touchdown passes to seven interceptions and ranked ninth in overall QBR. But the Colts decided to trade him anyway, a move that put others on high alert about Wentz.
“Ultimately there was a consensus,” said Reich. “They don’t want any remorse from the seller. We had already established that this would not happen. That was well thought out. It wasn’t a quick decision.”
But that doesn’t mean he’s changed his mind about Wentz. Washington coach Ron Rivera spoke to Reich about Wentz, saying the Colts’ coach called him after the trade to congratulate him – and to tell him he’d love coaching him.
“You get a player who, first of all, is a highly intelligent player who can process a lot of information quickly. You get a guy who’s physically a prototype NFL quarterback,” Reich said.
For Wentz to return to the top 10, Reich says it’s a matter of consistent, winning football. With a chance to earn a playoff berth by winning one of their final two games last season, the Colts lost both. In those games, losses to the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars, Wentz recorded a 13.0 combined overall QBR after completing 58.9% of his passes with two touchdowns and one interception.
“He was a top 10 quarterback in this league,” Reich said. “I think ’17 he was obvious. I think ’19 you could probably argue how he finished that year was the case. He put the Eagles team on their backs the last four games of the ’19 season and everything was done. Games had to be made to make the playoffs. We had some good moments this year too.”
Within a week, the Colts had traded for Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan — who Reich said was not on their radar when they traded Wentz to Washington.
“Fortunate, blessed, whatever you want to call it, we’re grateful that Matt became available,” Reich said.
Reich sounded similar about Wentz a year ago. The reunion didn’t go as planned. “It’s 2022. Not everything is a picture book ending,” said Reich. “These are the decisions an organization has to make, the leaders of an organization have to make. It was exactly what we felt was the best decision for our team at the time.”
Jacksonville coach Doug Pederson, who coached Wentz in Philadelphia for five seasons, also spoke to Rivera ahead of the trade. Wentz, the 2016 draft pick, led the Eagles to an 11-2 record before suffering an injury in season ’17. Philadelphia won the Super Bowl with backup quarterback Nick Foles. A year later, Wentz missed five games and the Eagles went 4-1, winning the last three to reach the postseason.
But in 2019, Wentz finished strong. In his last four games, all wins, he threw seven touchdown passes and no interceptions as the Eagles once again reached the postseason.
Pederson refuted rumors about Wentz’s management style, saying, among other things, that he would include young players in his off-season training. He pointed to Wentz’s work ethic.
“You’re getting a great leader,” Pederson said. “You get a guy who’s going to run this football team and he’s going to run this dressing room. … I’ve only known him a few years and it’s hard to tell what he did in Indy last year and what he can do in Washington, but the guys answered him.”