Carson Wentz

Indianapolis Colts starting quarterback Carson Wentz was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday after being placed under league protocols for being a high-risk close contact with a Colts staff member who tested positive for the coronavirus. 

Wentz, who remains unvaccinated, said those protocols have kept him up at night while speaking with reporters after his activation:

"Trust me, it's been an ongoing process, for me, for my family, and this happening this week, it kind of woke us up on the protocol, just kind of understanding how this happens and understanding some of the gray areas with the league, making sure we know what's at stake and how to avoid it. It's a process, I'm weighing every pro and con out there. It keeps me up at night and a lot of things go on inside my head, but it's where we're at right now."

The NFL's protocols are dramatically different for vaccinated vs. unvaccinated players:

Wentz did not commit to getting the vaccine, though he offered the caveat that "things could change in the next coming weeks."

"Who knows? Who knows where this world's going? Who knows where the protocol's going, if that'll change," he added. "I'm not going to act like I'm an expert on a vaccine or a virus, so that's just where we're at."

As for why he's opted not to get vaccinated to this point, Wentz called it a "personal decision."

"I'm not going to go in depth on why, but it's a personal decision for me and my family," he said. "I respect everybody else's decision, and I just ask that everybody does the same for me."

Between injuries and his time spent on the reserve/COVID-19 list, however, Wentz's first season in Indianapolis after the Philadelphia Eagles traded him has gotten off to a rough start:

The NFL said nearly 93 percent of its players and 99 percent of its league and team staff are vaccinated, per Jabari Young of CNBC. 

The Indianapolis Colts will have quarterback Carson Wentz available for the start of the 2021 season.

On Thursday, the AFC South team announced it activated Wentz, wide receiver Zach Pascal and center Ryan Kelly from the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Colts acquired Wentz this offseason from the Philadelphia Eagles via trade in exchange for a 2021 third-round draft pick and a conditional 2022 second-round pick.

Unfortunately for Wentz, he likely will not have one of his top pass-catchers available when the season begins. That is because the Colts placed T.Y. Hilton on injured reserve after he underwent neck surgery.

General manager Chris Ballard said the wide receiver will return "sooner than later," per Stephen Holder of The Athletic.

As for Wentz, he previously told reporters "it's a personal decision" when asked about his vaccination status prior to being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The North Dakota State product was at his best as an MVP candidate and Pro Bowler during the 2017 season, although that effort was cut short when he suffered a torn ACL. The Eagles still went on to win the Super Bowl with Nick Foles playing in his place.

Wentz appeared in 12 games last season for Philadelphia and completed a career-worst 57.4 percent of his passes for 2,620 yards, 16 touchdowns and a league-leading 15 interceptions. It was the first time in his career he failed to throw for more than 3,000 yards, and the Colts are surely hoping he bounces back after buying low in the trade market.

Indianapolis is coming off an 11-5 season and playoff appearance, but the quarterback position needed to be addressed after Philip Rivers retired.

It starts the 2021 campaign on Sept. 12 with a matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.

The Indianapolis Colts announced Monday quarterback Carson Wentz, center Ryan Kelly and receiver Zach Pascal have all been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Guard Quenton Nelson had previously been on the COVID-19 list but was activated Monday. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the players are a close contact of a staff member who tested positive and can be back in five days "as long as they remain negative and asymptomatic.

Wentz notably declined to answer whether he had been vaccinated earlier during training camp.

"It’s a personal decision," the quarterback said in July.

The Colts are set to open the regular season on Sept. 12 against the Seattle Seahawks.

Wentz was trending toward a potential Week 1 return after missing time recovering from his foot surgery. He was set to return to full-team practice for the first time Monday before the latest setback.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been especially damaging for the Colts with four other players placed on the reserve list in July.

The Colts have had one of the lowest vaccination rates in the NFL, with head coach Frank Reich saying last week the team was at "75-ish percent."

The coach discussed the organizational strategy earlier this month:

It is a real issue and that’s why we’re working at it. I think our guys are taking it serious. I think we’re continuing to make progress as a club, we’re continuing to tell the players what we believe. We believe it’s best to get vaccinated. We believe that that’s the best thing. We understand it’s a personal decision and so we’ll respect that.

With the regular season approaching, the impact of positive tests could be significant.

Wentz is expected to be the Colts' starting quarterback when healthy after the squad acquired him in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles in the offseason. There are high expectations as he teams up with Reich, who was his offensive coordinator during his lone Pro Bowl appearance in 2017.

Losing Kelly for any amount of time would also be significant after the center earned a Pro Bowl selection in each of the past two years. 

Pascal finished with at least 40 catches for 600 yards and five touchdowns in each of the past two years and could be set for a bigger role with T.Y. Hilton already out with a neck injury.    

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz is joining the relief efforts for Haiti following a devastating earthquake that killed thousands.

He and his wife Madison announced their AO1 Foundation partnered with Mission of Hope to donate $250,000 toward those relief efforts:

"Our family has been impacted tremendously by the country of Haiti and its people," the announcement explained. "The recent earthquake has been heavy on our hearts, and we have spent time praying through how we could respond in this time."

Matt Rivers, Etant Dupain and Jack Guy of CNN reported the 7.2-magnitude earthquake left at least 2,189 people dead and injured more than 12,000 additional people. It also led to overwhelmed hospitals, and the relief efforts have been slowed by rain and mudslides.

Wentz isn't the only one in the sports world who pledged to help, as Naomi Osaka, who is of Japanese and Haitian descent, donated her prize money from the Western & Southern Open to Haiti.

Elsewhere, the New England Patriots flew their team plane to Haiti to provide supplies and medical equipment.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz and offensive guard Quenton Nelson, who are both rehabbing foot injuries, will be on the practice field on a limited basis Monday.

Colts head coach Frank Reich told reporters (h/t Stephen Holder of The Athletic) the news on Sunday. The initial timeline for both foot injuries was five to 12 weeks from early August.

Wentz had successful surgery then to rectify the foot issue. Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star had more on Aug. 3.

"Wentz underwent surgery performed by Dr. David Porter to remove a piece of bone that had broken loose in his foot, the product of a fracture the quarterback unknowingly suffered in the past, likely in high school," Erickson wrote.

On Aug. 5, Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported that the team expected Wentz to return on the sooner end of the 5-to-12-week timeline.

On Aug. 11, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that Wentz and Nelson were "trending" toward being available for the Colts' Sept. 12 season opener against the Seattle Seahawks.

As for Nelson, he was clearly determined to get back to the playing field before the season began, as he noted on Instagram:

"Third surgery of the offseason in the books, no time for pity. F--k that. Truth is, I’m thankful, thankful the early part of the time table says five weeks. That gives me five weeks to do everything I can physically and mentally to be ready to go Week 1 to smash these goals. DYJ NMW."

Reich gave a rundown of that injury on Aug. 3, per ESPN's Mike Wells.

Where Carson's was an old [high school football] injury that cropped up, Q's was not an old injury. Q's was a developmental anomaly. Something he was kind of born with, something always there, you never know and all of a sudden there it is. They got there different ways, but essentially the same thing. Can't make that up, right?

It certainly appears that Nelson may be able to reach that goal based on the most recent report. For now, the Colts have one more preseason game (Friday at the Detroit Lions) before setting their sights on the regular season.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich didn't offer a timetable for Carson Wentz's return on Monday, but he told reporters the team is pleased with the veteran quarterback's recovery.

"We're at the two-week window," he said. "We feel good about where we're at. ... I don't see the advantage of trying to project that out. I'll just say we feel good about where we're at."

"I continue to be optimistic about his return," he added. "But it still doesn't make any sense for me to try to predict when that'll be."

Wentz, 28, was traded to the Colts this offseason from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 conditional second-round selection. That reunited him with Reich, his former offensive coordinator who he was paired with four years ago. In that career year with Philly, the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2016 threw for 3,296 yards, a league-leading 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 13 games. 

But Wentz tore his ACL that December and had to watch as Nick Foles led the Eagles to a Super Bowl title, and the North Dakota State product has trended in the wrong direction since then. His injuries haven't helped, nor did injuries on his offensive line and a lack of playmakers at wide receiver during his tenure with the Eagles. 

Reich left to become the Colts head coach ahead of the 2018 season. As Wentz regressed each year, his future in Philadelphia became murkier, and he was eventually benched last season in favor of rookie Jalen Hurts. 

Wentz had earned the benching, throwing for 15 interceptions in 12 games while taking 50 sacks. Both marks were the worst in the NFL. A change was best for both player and team.

But the Eagles will be monitoring Wentz's injury situation very closely themselves—that 2022 second-rounder becomes a first-round pick if Wentz either plays 75 percent of Indy's snaps this season or 70 percent of its snaps and the Colts reach the postseason. Both the Colts and Eagles are invested in Wentz's health. 

While Wentz is sidelined, Jacob Eason and Sam Ehlinger will battle for the starting job, though the Colts could also add a veteran option if Wentz's injury lingers into the regular season. 

Indianapolis Colts owner and CEO Jim Irsay is pumping the brakes on the idea Carson Wentz will be available for Week 1.

"I know he's such a competitor and wants to be there for his team," Irsay told reporters Thursday. "But he has to help by only coming back when he's ready because we want to see him healthy for two months and two years and four years and do those things that you see the great players at the Hall of Fame (do). They're there because they can stay on the field and Carson does everything he can to stay on the field."

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Wednesday that Wentz and guard Quenton Nelson were trending toward being in the lineup for the Colts' season opener against the Seattle Seahawks. Wentz and Nelson both underwent the same foot surgery within days of each other.

At the time, an estimated timetable of between five and 12 weeks was given for both players.

The Colts traded a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 conditional second-round selection to the Eagles for Wentz in March. The 2022 pick becomes a first if Wentz plays 75 percent of offensive snaps this season or plays 70 percent of snaps and the Colts reach the playoffs.

Indianapolis has the makings of a playoff team if Wentz can get back into the lineup early in the season—and perform far better than 2020. Wentz is coming off a miserable final year in Philadelphia that saw him throw for 2,620 yards and 16 touchdowns against a career-high 15 interceptions. He was benched for Jalen Hurts the final four games of the season. 

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz and left guard Quenton Nelson are reportedly "trending toward" being available for the team's Week 1 home game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 12 after they each underwent foot surgery in early August.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported the news Wednesday and noted the Colts will have a "better indication" of both players' potential availability sometime next week when they pass the two-week mark since surgery.

It's a promising development for Indianapolis, which provided a wide-ranging timetable of five-to-12 weeks for both players, leaving open the possibility that two critical members of the offense would miss up to the first six weeks of the regular season.

Instead, barring a setback, it sounds like both Wentz and Nelson could be on the field for the Colts' difficult stretch to start the campaign. After the home opener against the Seahawks, Indy hosts the Los Angeles Rams and then embarks on a three-game road trip against the Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens.

The Colts made a major bet that not only could Wentz return to form after a lackluster 2020 season with the Philadelphia Eagles but that he also would stay healthy after a series of injuries in Philly. The team didn't sign a proven veteran reserve, with Jacob Eason, Sam Ehlinger and Brett Hundley set to compete for the starting job if he misses time.

Wentz recorded 81 touchdowns and 21 interceptions across 40 appearances for the Eagles from 2017 through 2019. He tallied 16 TDs and 15 picks in 12 games last season before getting traded to Indianapolis in March for a pair of draft picks.

His arrival was a key part of the offseason for the Colts, who posted an 11-5 record last season before losing to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. Philip Rivers, who guided the team's offense last season, retired in January and left a major void.

"I've always been wired that way, to have high expectations," Wentz told reporters in July. "And coming in here, I could feel it in the spring right after the trade, the culture was different."

Meanwhile, Nelson has established himself as one of the NFL's best offensive linemen since the Colts selected him in the first round of the 2018 draft. He's earned a Pro Bowl appearance and first-team All-Pro selections in all three of his pro seasons.

Chris Reed and Jake Eldrenkamp are the top candidates to join the starting lineup if Nelson is unavailable to open the campaign.

Indianapolis begins its three-game preseason slate Sunday when it welcomes the Carolina Panthers to Lucas Oil Stadium.