A recent report claims the Colts had a major case of buyer's remorse after acquiring quarterback Carson Wentz from the Eagles last offseason.
Indianapolis turned heads by unloading Wentz to the Washington Commanders, just a year after surrendering what turned out to be first- and third-round picks to Philadelphia in exchange for Wentz.
According to Zak Keefer of The Athletic, Wentz fell deeply out of favor with the Colts, with his ill-fated lone season in Indy even prompting an apology to owner Jim Irsay from head coach Frank Reich, who had lobbied to acquire Wentz in the first place.
Money was never the primary factor in the decision to move on from him, nor was the unenviable reality the team now finds itself in: looking for a new starting quarterback for the third straight offseason. Reich, who originally pushed for the trade to acquire Wentz last winter, apologized to Irsay after the season, according to a source. The coach believed he could resurrect Wentz’s stalled career and solve the Colts’ quarterback conundrum.
Reich had previously coached Wentz when they were both with the Eagles, and per Keefer, the coach believed he could get Wentz back on track after seeing a sharp downturn in his play in his final years in Philly.
But it didn't turn out that way.
The move to trade Wentz to Washington came after one season of decidedly mixed play in Indianapolis. Though Wentz tossed 27 touchdowns to only 7 interceptions and finished ninth in ESPN's adjusted QBR, he struggled badly down the stretch, including in devastating losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders in the season's final two weeks.
The Colts were non-committal about Wentz's future after the season ended, and reports surfaced last month that they were looking to unload him.
Reich, for his part, conceded last month that he had gone to bat for Wentz, and that Wentz's future in Indy was "yet to be determined."
Per Sports Illustrated:
“I stuck my neck out for him, you know, I stuck my neck out for him last year,” said Reich. “I was a big part of that decision to get him here. And so, you know, I believe he's gonna continue to have a lot of success as a quarterback. That might be here. It might not be here. That decision has yet to be determined.
Roughly a week later, Wentz was shipped to Washington, and the Colts were seeking their third starting quarterback in as many years.
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