Colts head coach Frank Reich again defends QB Carson Wentz

Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich and offensive assistant Press Taylor both guided quarterback Carson Wentz when all were with the Philadelphia Eagles, and a reunion was cemented in March when the Colts officially traded for the second pick of the 2016 NFL Draft. 

Reich confidently said earlier this month that he did not believe the Eagles drafting Jalen Hurts last year sent Wentz "in a tailspin," and the coach again defended his new QB on Monday when asked if Wentz's flaws are fixable. 

"I just cringe when I hear stuff like that, not that a player shouldn't be accountable for poor play on the field," Reich explained, per Kevin Patra of the NFL's website. "Carson has to answer to that, and he has answered to it. And until you get out there and prove otherwise, that's what you live with. But I just know that playing the position of quarterback, there are so many factors that go into it. We talked about why the poor play last year, I'm just very confident that he has a team around him. It's just I think the culture fit. You guys know how I feel about the Eagles, how highly I feel about that organization. But sometimes in sports, this is one of those transitions I think it's going to end up being good for both organizations, I think it's going to be good for Carson. I think we got to be patient with it. I think it takes a little bit of time, just like it took Philip (Rivers) a minute and Jacoby (Brissett) a minute. But I'm confident that we got the right player."

As noted by ESPN stats, Wentz was one of the worst starting signal-callers, statistically speaking, of the 2020 season and finished the year 28th with a total QBR of 49.6 and 34th with a 72.8 passer rating. 

According to Spotrac, the Colts would suffer no financial penalty by cutting ties with Wentz following the 2022 campaign.