Carson Wentz cannot be feeling great about his job security with the Indianapolis Colts after listening to what general manager Chris Ballard had to say on Thursday.
Ballard was asked by a reporter if Wentz will return as the starting quarterback in 2022. He would not commit and only said that the Colts felt acquiring Wentz in a trade last offseason was the right move “at the time.” He also said Wentz needs to play better.
That’s not exactly a strong endorsement, or really any endorsement at all. Ballard was also asked what he and Wentz spoke about in their season-ending meeting this week. It doesn’t sound like the conversation was a particularly positive one.
Without explicitly saying it, Ballard essentially confirmed that the Colts are going to look for an upgrade at the quarterback position. That isn’t a huge shock, especially after head coach Frank Reich was also noncommittal when asked about Wentz earlier in the week.
Wentz finished the season with 3,563 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He played poorly in Week 17 against the Las Vegas Raiders and in the season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts could have made the playoffs by winning either game. They were a heavy favorite in both. They were ruthlessly trolled on social media after losing to the Jags.
The Colts acquired Wentz in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles last offseason. They initially sent a third-round pick to Philly, but it turned into a first-round pick when Wentz played 75% of the offensive snaps this season. Unless the Colts keep Wentz and he leads them to the playoffs next season, it’s hard to view the trade as anything other than a failure.
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