Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich told reporters at camp on Monday that the starting quarterback role is now Jacob Eason's to lose, as the team expects Carson Wentz to be sidelined with a foot injury for at least five weeks.
But does Eason, a 2020 fourth-round pick out of Washington, have the tools to lead the banged-up Colts for weeks, if not months? The answer is yes, according to CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Chris Trapasso. In fact, he's all-in on Eason taking the reins while Wentz recovers.
"In terms of pure talent throwing the football and everything that you need to do as an NFL quarterback, I don't think there's much of a difference between Jacob Eason and Carson Wentz," Trapasso told The Zach Gelb Show on Wednesday. "They're both big, physical quarterbacks with good arms. Decent athletes, but by today's athleticism standards for the quarterback position, they're not spectacular. Sometimes their decisions aren't the best.
"Of course, Wentz has played in a lot more games in the NFL -- I mean, Eason hasn't even thrown a pass yet. But in terms of pure talent, they're actually kind of close... If they can play football where they're 5-2, 6-3, somewhere in that range, I don't see any reason why the Colts should say, 'Hey, we've got to put in Carson Wentz now as we're getting ready for these crucial months in November and December,' when they'll probably be vying for one of those three AFC wild card spots."
Since there were no preseason games in the NFL last year, Eason hasn't played since Washington won its bowl game against Boise State back in December 2019. In 13 total games that season, the 23-year-old completed 64.2-percent of his passes for 3,132 yards, 23 touchdowns, and eight picks.
Wentz, who was traded to the Colts by the Philadelphia Eagles back in March, underwent surgery to repair his broken left foot on Monday, and the timetable on his return ranges from 5-12 weeks. If Wentz plays at least 75-percent of the team's offensive snaps -- or 70-percent and Indianapolis reaches the playoffs -- the Eagles will receive a 2022 first-round pick, as part of the deal. But if Wentz fails to reach either mark, the pick becomes a second-rounder.
Indianapolis opens the regular season at home against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 12. According to the William Hill Sportsbook, the Colts currently have the second-best odds (+170) to win the AFC South.
The entire NFL conversation between Trapasso and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.