It finally happened what we have all expected and been waiting for. The Eagles shipped Carson Wentz, and his 34 million dollar cap hit out of Philly. Wentz was sent to the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday for 2021 third-round pick and a conditional 2022 second-round pick that will turn into a first-rounder if Wentz plays 75% percent of the Colts 2021 snaps, or if he plays 70% of the snaps and Indianapolis makes the playoffs next year. So here we will break down what this means for Philly, the Colts, Wentz himself, and the rest of the league.
The Eagles have Found Their Gem:
The main thing that this trade says is that the Eagles are all in on their breakout rookie Jalen Hurts. If they had any doubts whatsoever, they would not be giving up their old number-two pick, who once was in MVP consideration a few years ago. But now, there is no going back for Philly. They trust Hurts and will be crossing their fingers that they get this quarterback right. Other than the Hurts decision, the trade does not mean a lot else for the Eagles. They get two picks and $34 million in cap space, but their actual team does not change because Wentz wasn’t even on the field.
The Colts are Hoping to Complete the Puzzle:
The Indianapolis Colts are a good football team. They lost in the Wild Card round this year to an excellent Bills team and probably even should have won that game. The only hole they had as a team was their quarterback situation. They had a very old Phillip Rivers out of his prime last year, so they needed to fill that spot. Personally, this was a very good move on Indianapolis’s part. They clearly see some long-term value in Wentz, and they only had to give up two picks for what they think is the franchise’s solution. So maybe Wentz can finally push them over the edge.
Huge Break for Carson Wentz:
This is the chance that Carson Wentz needs. He has shown that he is an extremely talented football player stuck on a terrible Eagles team, so he now has the opportunity to do big things in Indianapolis. He now has one of the best protection crews in the NFL headed by Quinten Nelson, which will give him extra time that he didn’t have in Philly to work his magic. A star running-back like Jonathan Taylor also takes some of the pressure off of him to do everything because he does not have to throw as much. Lastly, the Colts defense will actually get stops and provide Wentz with good opportunities.
Implications Around the League:
Look out, AFC. Last year, the Colts were a dangerous playoff team, even with an old quarterback. If Wentz plays to his ability, and the rest of the team continues to play like last year, especially the defense, then this team could very well make a deep run next year. The Tennessee Titans should be particularly worried because they only won the division last year on their head-to-head record with the Colts, so their top spot and playoff shoo-in are in critical danger. The AFC already has the Chiefs, Bills, and Ravens and could add another viable contender here with the Colts, which would make that side of the playoffs very interesting next year.
Good Luck to Wentz and Colts, and hopefully, he can live up to the hype and earn that max contract.
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