He should be in his prime. He remains unemployed.
Quarterback Carson Wentz, the second overall pick in the 2016 draft and the favorite for the league MVP award before suffering a torn ACL in December 2017, continues to wait for an opportunity. As he does, he’s working out with visible reminders or where he has been.
Via Jon Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia, Wentz is working out while wearing an Eagles helmet, a Commanders practice jersey, and Colts shorts.
Wentz spent five years with the Eagles, before being traded twice. First, he was shipped to the Colts in 2021. Then, in 2022, he landed with the Commanders.
Washington cut him earlier this year, and Wentz has yet to sign with a new team.
In May, his camp leaked that Wentz was “open to starter or backup roles.” The mere fact that he would consider himself a potential starter perhaps is keeping him from getting opportunities to be a backup. Like former NFL MVP Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick, the inability to accept without condition or equivocation the No. 2 (at best) spot on a depth chart (and the salary that goes with it) makes it harder to find a landing spot in a supporting role.
At this point, with all camps open and the first full week of preseason games coming, most teams looking for backup quarterbacks what players who are content to accept their role. Having a player at No. 2 or No. 3 who believes he should have a shot at moving to No. 1 could be more disruptive than productive.
Wentz’s prospects might also be hampered by persistent concerns regarding whether he’s a good teammate. Those rumblings first emerged during his time with the Eagles. As a backup, getting along with other players (including the starter) becomes critical.
But shed no tears for Wentz as the 30-year-old waits. After his first three NFL seasons, he signed a four-year, $128 million extension with the Eagles.
He has cashed plenty of sizable NFL checks. At this point, he might need to take whatever he can get — if/when a fourth franchise is at some point willing to give it to him.