Colts owner cited 'massive problems' from Wentz’s inconsistency originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
As Carson Wentz gears up for what some have called a last-chance season in Washington, his former club still seems to have the quarterback on the brain.
The Indianapolis Colts are preparing for their revenge tour after narrowly missing out on the postseason last year. It was a mishap which many in that organization attribute to Wentz's struggles. He was at the helm of a devastating loss in a must-win Week 18 matchup to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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Indianapolis now looks to right the wrongs of its recent past with a new QB, veteran Matt Ryan. Colts owner Jim Irsay took to the podium this week to assess his team’s performance in training camp and in the process subtly brought up Wentz -- though not by name.
“We went through the season with some inconsistency at quarterback that led to massive problems,” Irsay said, alluding to Wentz’s play under center.
Irsay went on to note his excitement for the 2022 campaign with Ryan, a former NFL MVP, leading the charge.
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“We’re set up for excellence, now we just have to do it. And Matt Ryan has that same feeling in his heart,” Irsay said.
Irsay’s jab isn’t the first time he’s brought up his former quarterback this offseason.
Back in March, he noted to media that trading for Wentz in the first place was a mistake. He added “it was very obvious” at the end of last season that the team needed to move on from Wentz, and that the QB had led them into a “a long dark tunnel” from which they needed to escape.
They eventually did move on by trading Wentz to Washington in exchange for a package of draft picks. In fairness, though, Irsay also said at the time that "Carson is not the scapegoat. He's a good man and a good father. It just didn't work out."
Wentz eventually responded to Irsay’s March comments by taking the high road. He told Colin Cowherd in May that “everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. I thought last year was a really fun year. I thought we did some incredible things, came up short at the end,” and added that he had ‘awesome relationships’ with everyone within the Colts organization.
Looking at Wentz’s numbers from last season with Indianapolis there is at least some truth to Irsay's inconsistency argument. His completion percentage dipped as low as 41.7% in a game, and reached a high of 75.0% (Week 4 at Miami). He never threw more than two interceptions in a game, but he also never threw for more than three touchdowns (which he did three times).
At season’s end, Wentz finished with 3,563 passing yards, 27 TDs, seven interceptions, and the league’s ninth-highest QBR (54.7). All told, the numbers do support Wentz being an above-average quarterback during his lone season as a Colt. Still, the loss to woeful Jacksonville, tied with Detroit for the NFL's worst record at 3-13, clouds memories of the highs he achieved during the year.
Now, he and the Colts both look to wipe the slate clean. Wentz has looked more and more comfortable and confident seemingly by the week in Ashburn, and with an intriguing supporting cast including Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson, Wentz could capitalize on his time as a Commander.
