Carson Wentz, the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, becomes the third starting quarterback to be involved in a trade this off-season, with Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff swapping places for 2021
Thursday 18 February 2021 17:40, UK
The Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to trade Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts.
According to multiple reports, the quarterback is headed to Indianapolis in exchange for a 2021 third-round pick plus a conditional 2022 second-round pick.
The deal cannot be made official until the start of the 2021 NFL league year on March 17.
Because of the contract that Wentz carries and his benching following Week 13 in 2020, interest and offers might not have been as intense as the Eagles anticipated.
The NFL's quarterback carousel is in town
The 2021 league year is the start of Wentz's new four-year, $128m contract extension with almost $70m guaranteed. The Eagles absorb a $33m cap hit by trading Wentz before his extension kicks in.
Trade talks had centered on Wentz going to the Chicago Bears or Colts, but he reportedly was averse to Chicago as a landing spot.
The 28-year-old Wentz was the second pick in the 2016 Draft behind Jared Goff. The move means the top two picks from that year have now been traded this off-season.
The Eagles moved up in the Draft, forfeiting three top-100 pick plus a first-round pick in 2017 and a second-round pick in 2018 to acquire the No. 2 pick and select Wentz.
Provided the deal goes through next month, Wentz would be in position to hit the ground running with the Colts where head coach Frank Reich runs a system adapted from the Eagles' offense. Reich was quarterbacks coach during Philadelphia's Super Bowl run.
Reich was Wentz' offensive coordinator during the 2017 season in which Wentz guided Philadelphia to an 11-2 record while throwing for 33 touchdown passes before sustaining a season-ending injury in December. Nick Foles piloted Philadelphia through the postseason and Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots. Foles is under contract with the Bears following an offseason trade last spring.
The Colts lost quarterback Philip Rivers to retirement and would likely have a fourth different starting quarterback since 2018 (Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett, Rivers and Wentz).
Jalen Hurts will likely slide in as the Eagles' starting quarterback in 2021. Hurts went 1-3 as a starter this past season, throwing for 1,061 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions while adding 354 rushing yards and three scores.
Wentz becomes the third 2020 starting quarterback involved in a pending trade after the Lions and Rams agreed to a deal sending Matthew Stafford to Los Angeles and bringing Goff to Detroit.
