Seth Udinski, FISM News

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The NFL quarterback exchange of 2021 continues with another blockbuster trade.   On February 18, the Philadelphia Eagles agreed to trade Carson Wentz, their Super Bowl champion franchise quarterback, to the Indianapolis Colts for two future draft picks.  The trade leaves the Eagles in a dreadful salary cap situation, as they sit with $33 million in dead cap money, a new NFL record.

Carson Wentz’s career in Philadelphia was nothing less than dramatic.  Drafted second overall by the Eagles in 2016, Wentz showed promise in his rookie season and exploded in his second, guiding the Eagles to 11 wins in their first 13 games and an NFC East division title.  He appeared to be a shoe-in for the NFL Most Valuable Player award in 2017 until his career took a frightening turn when he tore his ACL at the end of the regular season.  The Eagles went on to win their only Super Bowl title in franchise history, while Wentz sat on the bench.

He came back in 2018 with significantly less success, before suffering another season-ending injury, this time to his back.  In 2019, Wentz played a full season for the first time in his career, leading an injury-riddled Eagles team to another NFC East division championship.  In the first playoff game of his career, he was sidelined with a concussion in the first quarter as the Eagles fell to the Seattle Seahawks.  In 2020, his play was abysmal, and the Eagles dropped to last place in their division.

Wentz will become the starting quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, where he will reunite with his former offensive coordinator from Philadelphia, Colts’ head coach Frank Reich.  Meanwhile, the Eagles will likely turn to second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts, who replaced Wentz to start the last four games of the 2020 season.