Colts quarterback Carson Wentz could reportedly be on the move for the second consecutive offseason.
Indianapolis is likely to trade or release Wentz, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN, just one year after acquiring him in a highly scrutinized trade with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Wentz's future in Indy is "bleak," Mortensen said on one of the network's Super LVI pregame shows on Sunday, and he is expected to be unloaded prior to March 19.
The date is significant, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, because Wentz would be owed an additional $13.29 million in base salary and a roster bonus if he's still on the team by March 19. If he's gone before then, he'll still be owed $15 million in base salary, Florio reported.
Wentz, who turned 29 in December, threw for 27 touchdowns, 7 interceptions and 3,563 yards in his first, and perhaps only, season in Indianapolis.
The Colts went 9-8 with the former North Dakota State star as their signal-caller. The team missed out on a playoff berth with losses in each of its final two games, including a dud against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars in the season finale in which Wentz went 17-of-29 for 185 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Wentz missed all of the Colts' preseason games due to a foot injury, but returned in time to suit up for the regular season. The former No. 2 overall draft pick also came under criticism from some corners when it was revealed he was unvaccinated.
Wentz's trade from the Eagles to the Colts reunited him with former Philadelphia offensive coordinator Frank Reich, now Indianapolis' head coach.
In return, the Eagles received a third-round pick in last year's draft, which was later traded to the Carolina Panthers, and a conditional second-round pick in the upcoming 2022 draft, which became a first-round selection with Wentz taking at least 75% of the snaps under center for the Colts.
Wentz, a Pro Bowler in 2017, has a record of 44-40-1 in six seasons in the NFL, with 20,374 passing yards, 140 touchdowns, 57 interceptions, and a 62.6% completion rate.
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