Carson Wentz is the starting quarterback for the Washington Commanders. In college at North Dakota State, he was named the starting quarterback his junior season (2014) and led the team to a 15-1 record and the National Championship. As a senior, he suffered a broken wrist, but returned late in the season to win a second National Championship. His college stats were impressive, most notably a passer rating better than 150.0 in both his junior and senior seasons.
Carson Wentz measured in at the 2016 NFL combine with a hand size measurement of 10-inches (78th percentile) and a towering height of 6’-5”, making him one of the tallest quarterbacks in the NFL. He ran a 4.77 40-time as well. Wentz would be drafted with the second overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2016 draft. The Eagles invested multiple picks to trade up and acquire him. In his first season, Wentz threw for a rookie-record 379 completions.
Wentz kept up the pace in 2017, earning a Pro Bowl nomination; however he tore his ACL in Week 14, playing against the Rams. Even missing the last few games of the season, he still finished second in passing touchdowns and the third highest QBR. The Eagles would go on to win the Super Bowl with Nick Foles as the team’s quarterback. Wentz's 2018 season ended early due to injuries as well. He finished with a record of 5-6 as the team’s starting quarterback before being shut down due to a back injury.
Wentz rebounded in 2019, becoming the first quarterback in Eagles franchise history to throw for 4,000 yards in a season. Wentz also led the team to a Wild Card playoff game, where he was ultimately concussed and knocked out of the game. He struggled to remain consistency in 2020, leading the league in interceptions thrown, total turnovers, and sacks. He was eventually benched for Jalen Hurts that season. Wentz was traded in the offseason to the Indianapolis Colts, where he reunited with his former coach, Frank Reich.
Wentz was able to remain healthy and start every game in 2021, but in a must win game against the Jaguars, the Colts were unable to secure a victory and missed the playoffs. Wentz’s Next Gen Stats paint a picture of inconsistency: he finished top six in deep ball completion percentage but finished No. 32 in catchable pass rate. Despite the ups and downs of the 2021 season, he finished with a QB14 fantasy ranking.
Wentz was traded to the Commanders in March 2022 in a pick swap that will net the Colts 1 to 2 third round picks over the next couple drafts. He is under contract with Washington for just the 2022 season, where he will carry a cap hit of $28.2 million on $15 million guaranteed.
