A number of NFL quarterbacks under contract — Deshaun Watson, Jimmy Garoppolo, etc. — seemingly have had their immediate future called into question.
We can now add Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz to that list.
The Eagles “are expected to trade” Wentz in the coming days, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It comes after Philadelphia cut ties with head coach Doug Pederson. At the time, many believed it was because the Eagles wanted to keep Wentz in Philadelphia, and bring in a new head coach to help him get to his MVP caliber in 2017.
That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported the Eagles were hoping for a package similar to what Detroit got in return for signal-caller Matthew Stafford. Detroit, as you may recall, traded Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams for two first-round picks, a third-round pick and quarterback Jared Goff.
Ironically, Goff was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and Wentz went No. 2. Both could be on the move just five seasons later. Not a great representation.
Anyway, while we don’t see the Eagles getting the Stafford package for Wentz, here are seven potential landing spots for 28-year-old quarterback.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts were high on our list of Stafford suitors. Now, it means Indianapolis remains in the same position, fresh off the retirement of Philip Rivers with free-agent Jacoby Brissett set to hit the open market.
Indianapolis has the cap space to make a move, but the connection is well beyond that. As you may have heard, it comes down to Colts head coach Frank Reich and his relationship to Wentz, who had his best season when Reich was the Eagles offensive coordinator. The Colts also have plenty of offensive weapons, including a talented wide receiver room, which could appeal to Wentz.
Chicago Bears
A quarterback room again featuring Nick Foles and Wentz? Well, that would be rather hilarious. But Wentz has a higher ceiling than both Foles or Mitchell Trubisky, and unless head coach Matt Nagy can elevate the group early into the 2021 season, he may not be around too long. The Bears don’t have an abundance of cap space, but if they wanted to make a deal for Wentz, they could find a way.
Denver Broncos
George Patton took over the general manager duties from John Elway this offseason, and perhaps the former is not all too attached to current Denver quarterback Drew Lock. Lock has shown flashes, but the ceiling of Wentz is higher — if he can get there. Oh yeah, and the Broncos haven’t been shy in going after a veteran signal-caller in the past, and Denver enough talent on the offensive side of the ball to take a run at it.
New England Patriots
We’ll start off by saying in no way do we see the Patriots dealing a pair of first-rounders for Wentz, who signed a four-year, $128 million extension with Philadelphia through 2024. But the Patriots are one of a few teams with no established quarterback, and the cap space to make a variety of things work in 2021. Perhaps Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels, who interviewed for the Eagles head coaching job (to work with Wentz), could make the Eagles an offer which brings them down from their high horse?
San Francisco 49ers
It seems like the Jimmy G experiment is reaching its end in San Francisco. And as we mentioned a few weeks back, trading or cutting Garoppolo would save San Francisco approximately $24 million, per OverTheCap.com. Perhaps John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan see a reinvigorated Wentz as better than Garoppolo.
Washington Football Team
It’s not often you see division rivals make trades, especially for potential franchise quarterbacks, but don’t tell Donovan McNabb that. Washington cut ties with Dwayne Haskins, and while Alex Smith’s success story could very well earn him Comeback Player of the Year on Saturday night, his return is far from certain. Additionally, Washington could cut Smith, who is under contract for two more seasons, for a modest dead cap value of $10.8 million.
Carolina Panthers
The fact that the Panthers were among the mix for Stafford and have been rumored in the Watson sweepstakes tells us they have their sights on a new quarterback. Both Stafford and Watson, however, are better options than Wentz at this moment, so maybe Carolina doesn’t see the Eagles QB as much of an upgrade over Teddy Bridgewater. Even still, the partnership has potential.
