Philadelphia Eagles Trade Quarterback Carson Wentz To Indianapolis Colts For Draft Picks, Reports Say
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) -- The Carson Wentz era is officially over in Philadelphia. The Eagles on Thursday traded their former franchise quarterback to the Indianapolis Colts for draft picks, according to multiple reports.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Eagles will receive a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional 2022 second-round pick that could turn into a first-round pick.
The second-round pick could become a first next year if Wentz takes at least 75% of the snaps or he plays at least 70% of the plays and the Colts go to the playoffs.
The deal reunites Wentz with Colts coach Frank Reich, who served as Philadelphia's offensive coordinator his first two seasons in the league. The Colts are turning to their fourth starting quarterback in Reich's four years. Andrew Luck retired abruptly before 2019 season and Jacoby Brissett took over. Philip Rivers led the team to the playoffs in his only season in Indianapolis in 2020. After Rivers retired, Wentz became an ideal fit for the team.
Wentz was benched for the final four games of the worst season of his five-year career and was inactive in the Eagles' loss to Washington in their season finale.
Wentz's relationship with the organization was strained, a person close to the situation previously told The Associated Press. After Jalen Hurts replaced him as the starter, Wentz said, "Obviously, that's frustrating as a competitor and just the personality that I have, I want to be the guy out there."
Wentz is entering the first season of a four-year, $128 million contract he signed in June 2019. The Eagles will absorb a significant salary cap hit of $33.8 million in dead money on their 2021 cap.
The Eagles traded up twice in the 2016 NFL draft to select Wentz with the No. 2 overall pick. He started all 16 games as a rookie and finished third in NFL MVP voting in 2017. But Wentz tore two knee ligaments in Week 14 that season and watched Nick Foles lead the Eagles to the franchise's first Super Bowl title.
A back injury ended Wentz's season early in 2018 and Foles led the Eagles to a playoff victory.
Wentz started every game in 2019 and helped the Eagles win the NFC East with an excellent four-game stretch in December. He became the first QB in NFL history to throw for 4,000 yards without a wide receiver having 500 yards receiving and became the first QB to throw 20 or more touchdowns and seven or fewer interceptions in three straight seasons.
But he was knocked out of his first career playoff start after nine snaps because of a concussion. Wentz hasn't been the same since that hit from Jadeveon Clowney. He posted a 72.8 passer rating, 16 interceptions and lost four fumbles in 12 starts in 2020. The Eagles finished 4-11-1.
The Eagles hired Nick Sirianni as their new head coach on Jan. 21. Sirianni replaces Doug Pederson, the only head coach who led the Eagles to a Super Bowl win.
During his introduction to Philadelphia, Sirianni said on Jan. 29 that "we have two quarterbacks that are top-notch quarterbacks, and some teams don't have any." He claimed he hadn't thought about who will start at QB for him in 2021. It won't be Carson Wentz.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
