During the NFL Combine last week, Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard told reporters that the franchise still hasn't figured out its quarterback situation for the 2022 season. In other words, Carson Wentz's future remains in doubt. And considering how the 2021 campaign ended for Indianapolis, all questions and concerns about his long-term viability are legitimate.
Whether or not the Colts have a decision in mind, ESPN reported last month that Wentz's future with the team was "bleak," and that a trade or his release could occur prior to March 19 -- the day when his $22 million base salary for next season becomes fully guaranteed. So, what are Indianapolis' options at quarterback if Wentz's time is ending? Colts reporter Mike Chappell believes that two potential names are former first-round picks turned backups.
"[Marcus] Mariota, because I think he'd be safer -- a safer pick to make plays and manage games, and limit the running game," Chappell told The Zach Gelb Show on Monday. "The second one, I'll go with [Mitch] Trubisky, and for all the same reasons. And realizing they've got to be short-term fixes that you've got to address in 2023... If somebody's got a better option -- that doesn't include selling out for Russell Wilson -- this is just a bad landscape to reload at QB."
Mariota, who was selected second overall by the Tennessee Titans in 2015, spent the past two seasons as the Las Vegas Raiders' backup. The former Heisman Trophy winner played 10 games in 2021, and in a strict mobile role, he rushed for 87 yards on 13 attempts with one touchdown. As for Trubisky, the Chicago Bears' former second-overall pick, he spent last season as the backup to Buffalo Bills superstar Josh Allen. He threw for just 43 total yards.
With an AFC wild-card berth at stake in Week 18, Wentz and the Colts choked against the Jacksonville Jaguars and were eliminated from playoff contention. Wentz's overall performance was ghastly -- he completed 17 of 29 passes for 185 yards with only one touchdown and one interception, and also produced a career-low 4.4 QBR.
Despite playing a career-high 17 games and racking up 3,563 passing yards with 27 scores and seven picks, two late-season losses overshadowed his stretches of success. Indianapolis can save $13.2 million by cutting Wentz this offseason or $28.2 million via trade, according to Spotrac, but odds of another team accepting the albatross contract are slim.
The entire Colts conversation between Chappell and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.