The Carson Wentz trade lost a bit of its luster earlier this month when the former Eagles QB suffered a setback with a foot injury and had to undergo surgery. It seemed at the time that the surgery would cost him significant playing time this season, which would bring the chances of the Eagles' conditional second-round pick from the trade turning into a first-round pick.
But what's that on the horizon? A little ... good news?!
ESPN NFL insider Chris Mortensen reported Wednesday morning that both Wentz and Quenton Nelson, who oddly suffered the same foot injury and underwent the same surgery, are tracking towards playing Week 1:
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That's new!
The last we heard about Wentz's injury situation was Aug. 2, and it was not good. That's when the Colts announced Wentz was undergoing surgery on his foot and that he was expected to miss a weirdly wide "5 to 12 weeks" window.
If we take the shortest possible end of that timeframe, that places Wentz back on Sept. 6, the Monday of Week 1 as the Colts start preparing to face the Seahawks on Sept. 12.
NFL
So, uh ... is it possible Wentz isn't going to miss any time at all?
That kind of luck feels almost impossible for both Wentz, who's been nagged by injuries for years, and the Eagles, who themselves have felt particularly snake-bitten by injuries in recent seasons.
And yet Colts reporters at training camp on Tuesday said Wentz was spotted on the practice field without any sort of walking boot or crutches, and also without a visible limp.
From The Athletic's Stephen Holder:
"Why aren’t the Colts doing more to acquire a veteran backup quarterback?
"Maybe they know something we don’t. For example: Perhaps Wentz is on the fast-track to a return to the lineup. That would obviously be the best-case scenario and render a lot of the debate about the backup position moot.
"To that end, Wentz was seen at practice Tuesday without any obvious limp or protection on his left foot that was surgically repaired just eight days ago. At the risk of reading too much into that minor development, Wentz being on his feet for the entirety of practice a week after surgery might be something hopeful for fans to hold onto."
After all the doom and gloom at the end of July and beginning of August, this would be an incredible turn of events for Eagles fans - and, frankly, for the front office as it looks to pile up as much draft capital as possible in anticipation of a possible run at a franchise QB, either via trade or via the draft, in 2022 if Jalen Hurts doesn't pan out.
Wentz’s injury status, of course, matters to the Eagles because the second-round pick they got as a part of the return for Wentz can turn into a first-round pick if one of two things happen:
- Wentz plays at least 75% of the Colts’ offensive snaps
- Wentz plays at least 70% of the Colts’ offensive snaps and the Colts make the playoffs
We'll see what happens, but this certainly feels like good news right now.
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