Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
The Carson Wentz era in Philadelphia is over. The Wentz wagon is headed towards Indianapolis.
The Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to trade Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a 2021 third-round round pick and a conditional 2022 second-round draft pick, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The pick also could become a first-rounder if Wentz plays at least 70% of the snaps and the Colts reach the playoffs. But the worst the 2022 pick can be is a second-rounder.
The Eagles will take a $33.8 million dead cap hit -- the largest dead-cap hit that any team ever has taken for a player -- while the Colts will assume the balance of Wentz's $128 million extension, including the $10 million guaranteed roster bonus due on March 19.
The trade will become official in March at the start of the league year.
The Eagles and Wentz have decided to move on after a tumultuous year. After putting the Eagles on his back to carry them into the playoffs in 2019, Wentz watched the Eagles turn around and draft QB Jalen Hurts in the second round of the 2020 draft.
Carson Wentz was drafted #2 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. Wentz's career got off to a fast start. His second season, in 2017, Wentz led the Eagles to an 11-2 start and was well on his way to the league MVP. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL in December of that season and missed the rest of that season and the miracle Super Bowl run that occurred.
Wentz experienced a severe regression in 2020 after passing for over 4,000 yards, 27 touchdowns to 7 interceptions, and a 93.1 passer rating in 2019. His 2020 numbers dropped significantly- 16 touchdowns to 15 interceptions, and next-to-last in the NFL in passer rating - 72.8. This lead to his benching in early December which contributed to the demise of the relationship between Wentz and the Eagles.
Since the benching, reports leaked that Wentz was unhappy with the organization and his silence helped confirm the belief in those reports. The firing of Doug Pederson and hiring of HC Nick Sirianni did not help gain back Wentz's trust in the organization.
More to come.