Carson Wentz

Carson Wentz had his worst season as a professional in 2020, leading to his eventual trade to the Indianapolis Colts this offseason. 

But as for whether Wentz is irrevocably broken as a quarterback, well, head coach Frank Reich pushed back against that notion while speaking to reporters Monday:

I just cringe when I hear stuff like that, not that a player shouldn't be accountable for poor play on the field. Carson has to answer to that, and he has answered to it. And until you get out there and prove otherwise, that's what you live with. But I just know that playing the position of quarterback, there are so many factors that go into it. We talked about why the poor play last year, I'm just very confident that he has a team around him. It's just I think the culture fit. You guys know how I feel about the Eagles, how highly I feel about that organization. But sometimes in sports, this is one of those transitions I think it's going to end up being good for both organizations, I think it's going to be good for Carson. I think we got to be patient with it. I think it takes a little bit of time, just like it took Philip (Rivers) a minute and Jacoby (Brissett) a minute. But I'm confident that we got the right player.

Wentz, 28, threw for 2,620 yards, 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, completing just 57.4 percent of his passes and taking 50 sacks. He played in 12 games for the Eagles before being benched in favor of Jalen Hurts. 

There's no getting around it—Wentz was awful. It capped off a truly bizarre journey for him in Philadelphia.

He started as the golden child after the Eagles traded a bounty of draft picks to select him No. 2 overall in the 2016 NFL draft. By his second season he already looked like a superstar in the making and was the frontrunner for MVP in 2017 before tearing his ACL. 

The Eagles, of course, went on to win the Super Bowl with Nick Foles at quarterback, creating a shadow that Wentz never quite escaped. 

In 2018, a stress fracture in his back kept him out of the postseason, with Foles again taking over and leading the team to a playoff win. In 2019 Foles was no longer on the roster and Wentz stayed healthy in the regular season, only to suffer a concussion and fail to finish the team's Wild Card Loss to the Seattle Seahawks. 

Ahead of the 2020 season the team drafted Hurts in the second round, leading to plenty of speculation that the front office—despite signing Wentz to a massive four-year, $128 million extension in 2019—perhaps wasn't completely sold on him as the franchise quarterback. 

Or, at the very least, that his injury history had become such a concern they were willing to invest an important resource on a backup option. 

So by the time the 2020 season had concluded, a breakup seemed needed and a fresh start logical. Wentz has to prove he can halt his steadily declining play. Reich believes he will. 

The Indianapolis Colts became the logical landing spot for Carson Wentz the moment his future with the Philadelphia Eagles came into question.

Since the Colts completed the trade for the quarterback, general manager Chris Ballard and Co. have meticulously worked to place Wentz in a position to succeed—unlike how things were handled in his previous two seasons in Philadelphia. 

Familiarity often breeds confidence.

In this case, Wentz rejoined two of his former offensive coordinators, Frank Reich and Mike Groh, who now serve as the Colts' head coach and wide receivers coach, respectively. Plus, Reich hired former Eagles quarterbacks coach and passing-game coordinator Press Taylor this offseason after Philadelphia dismantled Doug Pederson's staff. 

Moreover, Reich and his staff wanted to work with Wentz. 

"I said to [Ballard], 'I don't know what Philadelphia's plans are with Carson (Wentz), but do you think we can see if they will trade him?'" Reich told reporters in March. "We knew one (quarterback) option was the draft and free agency. But I also knew there was a unique dynamic in Philadelphia. I felt like we had to make that connection and find out if it was possible."

Ultimately, the Colts traded a third-round draft pick this year and a conditional second-round selection next year to acquire Wentz's services. 

Everything fell apart for Wentz over the past two seasons. His played worsened with more pressure applied on the position. The Eagles endured numerous injuries along the offensive line. The wide receiver corps didn't live up to expectations. Both of those issues interconnected and culminated in Wentz playing too much hero ball. The quarterback often tried to make something out of nothing.

Eventually, bad habits formed and turnovers occurred. Wentz tied for the league lead last season with 15 interceptions in 12 games. 

To make matters worse, the quarterback's relationship with his coach deteriorated, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen. In general, the dysfunction found within the Eagles organization grew out of hand and infiltrated every level. 

The backing of an entire franchise and its coaching staff are extremely important for Wentz's maturation. This isn't to say he was without fault. All players, especially quarterbacks, have egos. At the same time, a lack of functionality throughout an organization sets everyone up for failure. 

"The quarterback has to feel comfortable with who's pulling the strings and who's pulling the trigger," Ballard told reporters. "And that made the trade for Carson a lot easier because I knew there was a trust level between the two of them [Wentz and Reich], and trust is everything in this league and trust between the quarterback and the play-caller is everything."

With that in mind, the Colts plan a back-to-basics approach with their new starter. The offensive coaching staff's understanding of where Wentz is most comfortable and can best succeed is critical to this makeshift marriage. 

"It's getting back on track, getting back in rhythm, just doing his job as a quarterback," Reich said. "Do the little things right. Don't be a hero on every play. Don't have to try to make the spectacular plays every play."

Mindset, an understanding of the individual and usage within the team's scheme are the starting blocks toward success. From there, a proper supporting cast will provide a comfort level while working through pre- and post-snap reads on a down-by-down basis. 

The Colts already featured one of the league's best offensive lines. According to Pro Football Focus, Indianapolis' front five ranked seventh overall last season even though the performance was considered a "relatively down year" due to injuries and some subpar play from individuals. The ranking shows how good the unit can be when it's firing on all cylinders. 

Granted, Anthony Castonzo retired after the 2020 campaign. His absence created a significant void in the lineup the Colts couldn't immediately address. 

With this year's 21st overall pick the Colts chose defensive end Kwity Paye. An opportunity to address a premium position with arguably the best pure prospect available shouldn't be viewed as a negative, especially since Paye has NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year potential. At the same time, the Colts bypassed the chance to draft a left tackle and replace Castonzo. Indianapolis didn't even draft a blocker until the seventh round. 

"It just didn't match up. How many true left tackles were in the draft? We'll see. ... If you're gonna draft a guy that high, and you're drafting him to be a left tackle, you'd like to know that he's going to be that his whole career," Ballard told reporters after the fact. 

Ballard wasn't content to stand pat at the position. The Colts signed Eric Fisher to a one-year, $9.4 million contract Monday, per ESPN's Adam Shefter.

In doing so, the final piece of the puzzle came into place. 

Last season, Fisher played relatively well and graded as the league's 16th best offensive tackle, according to Pro Football Focus. The 30-year-old left tackle suffered a torn left Achilles tendon in the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills, though. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the Colts had the 2013 No. 1 overall pick in for a physical last week and are comfortable with where he's currently at in his rehab. 

Fisher may not be ready for the start of the regular season, but the Colts should have high expectations while waiting for Fisher to get up to speed. Besides, a run-heavy approach makes sense at the onset of the 2021 campaign. 

Wentz is a superior quarterback when working from a clean pocket, and he doesn't handle pressure particularly well. Protection is of the utmost importance. 

The Colts can build the quarterback up slowly by featuring running back Jonathan Taylor once the season begins. Taylor ran for 741 yards during the final six regular-season games of his rookie campaign, including a Colts' single-game rushing record with 253 yards in the season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Reich can roll through Marlon Mack, Nyheim Hines and Jordan Wilkins when Taylor isn't on the field. 

With the primary focus on the team's running backs and the offensive line opening up holes, Wentz won't be forced to carry the offense while benefitting from what has the potential to be a strong play-action game. Prior to the 2019 season, Wentz was one of the league's best play-action quarterbacks, per PFF. 

Once the quarterback gets in rhythm after establishing the passing game, Wentz has capable targets all over the field. The Colts' top three wide receivers are back after T.Y Hilton re-signed this offseason on a one-year, $8 million deal. Zach Pascal also signed his restricted free-agent tender. As a rookie, Michael Pittman Jr. played well down the stretch with 77.2 percent of his overall production coming after Week 9. 

Wentz loves to target his tight ends, too. Jack Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox are a strong duo, plus the Colts drafted SMU's Kylen Granson in this year's fourth round. 

Indianapolis features a top-10 defense as well. Matt Eberflus' unit plays a disciplined brand of football and flies all over the field. 

Obviously, the quarterback's health will play a significant role in Indianapolis' direction. Wentz has been dinged throughout his career dating back to his high school days. Sam Ehlinger's selection in the sixth round makes sense strictly as an insurance policy. 

But no better place existed for the 2016 second overall draft pick to revive his career and once again look like the franchise quarterback everyone expected after a strong start to his professional career. The Colts have properly built around Wentz with a strong offensive front, a deep running back stable and multiple weapons in the passing game to go along with a certain comfort level the quarterback should experience in his new setting. 

As of now, the Colts should be counted among the AFC elite, alongside the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns, as long as Wentz returns to form. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.

Even if Jalen Hurts hasn't been named the Week 1 starter for the Philadelphia Eagles, the second-year quarterback has reportedly been "taking ownership of that job."

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler provided the latest Sunday on SportsCenter:

"[Jalen Hurts is] giving off some QB1 vibes right now. I'm told that he's organized offsite workouts with teammates Dallas Goedert, Miles Sanders and others. He's spent significant time really absorbing Nick Sirianni's new playbook. I talked to a coach who was helping Hurts with those workouts. He said that he's just trying to be a good teammate by picking up all the nuances of the offense, doing a lot of legwork so he can relay that to his new guys and that they can be on the same page, make for a better offensive play system. So, this is a situation where the Eagles got Joe Flacco for insurance, but they feel really good coming out of the draft about Hurts taking ownership of that job."

The Eagles didn't select a quarterback in the 2021 NFL draft, only adding Jamie Newman as an undrafted free agent. Veteran Joe Flacco also signed a one-year deal with the team this offseason.

It appeared as though Hurts was the clear No. 1 on the depth chart after Philadelphia traded Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts, but new coach Nick Sirianni didn't name a starter when asked last month.

"Competition is a huge thing, and we're going to have competition at every position," Sirianni told reporters before the draft.

Hurts flashed some potential in limited playing time last season. The 2020 second-round pick appeared in 15 games but started only four, finishing with 1,061 passing yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions with a disappointing 52.0 completion percentage.

He did impress with his legs, rushing for 354 yards on 5.6 yards per attempt to go with three touchdowns. His 338-yard, four-touchdown showing against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15 showcased his upside, and he's now showing leadership in offseason workouts.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich wants to simplify things for quarterback Carson Wentz, who joined the team this offseason. About as simple as it gets, really.

Previously Wentz's offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles, Reich has a chance to revive the QB's career after Wentz lost his job in Philadelphia to Jalen Hurts. To do so, Reich told The Rich Eisen Show he wants to the former No. 2 overall pick to start over at the position. 

"It's time to hit the reset button and go back to the basics," Reich said. "The fundamentals. Starting at the very beginning. You try to discipline yourself to do that as a player every year no matter what, but it's hard once you get things going."

According to Reich, Wentz is already embracing that notion—a task made significantly easier by having a genuine fresh start in a new city, with a mostly unfamiliar coaching staff and talented receiving corps.

The QB fell out of favor quickly in Philadelphia after injuries hampered three of his five seasons as an Eagle. Following a 2020 season in which Wentz compiled a 3-8-1 record as a starter with 2,620 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, Philadelphia decided to hand the offense over to the rookie Hurts.

It wasn't long before Reich was able to strike a deal to reunite with Wentz. The Colts were in need of a frontline starter after the retirement of Philip Rivers and it made too much sense not to see if Reich could get Wentz's career back on track. 

All it cost Indianapolis was a third-round pick in 2021 and a conditional second-round pick in 2022—along with a willingness to absorb the remainder of the QB's four-year, $128 million contract. 

Now comes the hard part. 

"We want to do the ordinary things in an extraordinary way," Reich explained. "Do your job at the position that you play, be the quarterback of this team."

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Friday he's enjoyed getting a chance to know quarterback Carson Wentz, who was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles in a March trade.

"He's got a great sense of humor, doesn't take himself too seriously," Ballard told reporters. "He's dialed in, he works. I'd probably compare him a little more to Andrew [Luck] than to Philip [Rivers]."

The GM added: "He's comfortable in his own skin. He's been great. Great to be around, great family, great perspective on life. He's going to be a good player for us."

Wentz's arrival to Indianapolis reunited him with Colts head coach Frank Reich, who served as the Eagles' offensive coordinator during Wentz's first two NFL seasons in 2016 and 2017.

The 28-year-old North Dakota State product put together his best statistical season in 2017 when he threw for 33 touchdowns in 13 games with just seven interceptions. He led all players in ESPN's Total QBR that year and finished third in MVP voting despite tearing his ACL in Week 14.

He remained productive over the next two years, tallying 48 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, but his numbers fell off a cliff in 2020. He posted a career-low 57.4 completion percentage with 16 TDs and 15 picks before getting benched for rookie Jalen Hurts late in the campaign.

The Colts are betting on a bounce-back season from Wentz, and Ballard said the veteran's previous work within Reich's system should allow him to hit the ground running.

"When you have a familiarity with the offense and the coach that's coaching you every day, then automatically there's going to be a comfort level there," Ballard said. "It's like last year. We didn't have any offseason. Philip came in, knew the offense. There wasn't a lag in terms of him playing and understanding what needed to be done."

Indianapolis has some offensive talent in place with running backs Jonathan Taylor, Nyheim Hines and Marlon Mack, wide receivers T.Y. Hilton and Zach Pascal and tight ends Jack Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox.

Add in a defense that ranked eighth in yards allowed per game (332.1) in 2020, and the Colts have the pieces in place for a deep playoff run after being knocked out in the Wild Card Round last season.

Wentz must return to peak form for the squad to reach its full potential, though.

Many issues contributed to a poor 2020 season for quarterback Carson Wentz, and one could have been his disconnect with the coaching staff.

Sheil Kapadia, Bo Wulf and Zach Berman of The Athletic provided a breakdown as part of an examination of the organizational issues surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles:

The relationship between head coach and quarterback deteriorated as things went south in 2020. One source described Wentz as smarter than most of the coaches on staff, but that meant he wanted to control the game at the line of scrimmage with checks and audibles. His pre-snap orchestrations led to confusion among the other players and resulted in guys not being on the same page. [Doug] Pederson struggled to find a balance between empowering Wentz and reining him in.

Wentz struggled through his 12 starts last year, throwing just 16 touchdowns while leading the NFL with 15 interceptions. He was traded to the Indianapolis Colts in the offseason, clearing a path for Jalen Hurts to take over under center.

The move came less than two years after the Eagles gave Wentz a four-year, $128 million extension.

Other sources told The Athletic the loss of Frank Reich contributed to Wentz's regression.

Reich was the Eagles' offensive coordinator during Wentz's first two years in the NFL, including during the 2017 Super Bowl season. Wentz was an MVP candidate that season before getting injured, totaling 33 touchdown passes and seven interceptions in 13 games.

Reich became the head coach of Indianapolis in 2018 and will now get a chance to reunite with Wentz.

Other reported issues for Philadelphia—including lack of depth at receiver and on the offensive line after draft misses—shouldn't be as much of a problem with the Colts, who have a strong O-line and T.Y. Hilton and Michael Pittman Jr. at wideout.

Indianapolis Colts wideout T.Y. Hilton had some especially high praise for his new quarterback Thursday, comparing Carson Wentz to his team's former franchise QB.

"He has some Andrew Luck traits, man," Hilton told reporters. "He can get out of the pocket. He can make the incredible throws. He's a special talent, man, especially when he's standing up in the pocket delivering throws and his ability to avoid guys and make plays with his legs or with his arm. So he's a special talent."

That comment should have ears perking up across Indiana. Hilton and Luck were as elite a combination as any passer-receiver duo in the league before Luck retired in 2019.

During Hilton's career-best season in 2016, he caught 91 passes for 1,448 yards and six touchdowns. In the last two years combined, Hilton has 1,263 receiving yards. 

Any question of whether Hilton is being earnest in his admiration of Wentz seems to have been answered by the wideout's new contract. The 31-year-old re-signed with the Colts for one year and up to $10 million with incentives for catches and receiving yards. Hilton also confirmed he turned down a multiyear offer from the Baltimore Ravens to stay with the franchise that drafted him.

That meant giving up a chance to play with Lamar Jackson to help out Wentz. 

"I wanted to stay here no matter what the cost was," Hilton told reporters. "I gave up a lot of money to stay here and that's what I wanted to do."

There's no guarantee Wentz and Hilton will build the same rapport as Hilton and Luck, but the relationship seems to have gotten off on the right foot. That the wideout is feeling this optimistic in April can only be taken as a positive sign. Yet he's also set the bar quite high for Wentz.

They now have all summer to figure out how to reach it.