Carson Wentz

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay sent a tweet Tuesday that highlighted the need for elite quarterback play for teams to make a deep run in the playoffs—something that may be seen as a shot at Carson Wentz.

You can see,clear as day,in The Final 8 NFL Team Playoffs…you need a QB and Offense,who can score 30 or more in Regulation…and a Defense that can hold an opponent under 30!🏈

— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) January 25, 2022

The Colts have been surprisingly noncommittal about whether Wentz will stick around as their starting quarterback in 2022 even though they traded a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 first-round pick for him a year ago.

General manager Chris Ballard would not commit to Wentz's being the starter and added "our passing game has to be better" at his season-ending press conference. 

Wentz threw for 3,563 yards and 27 touchdowns against seven interceptions during the regular season but struggled mightily down the stretch. He threw for just 333 yards and two scores with an interception as the Colts ended the season with back-to-back losses to the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Colts surrounded Wentz with one of the sport's best offensive lines and the NFL's leading rusher (Jonathan Taylor), but the team couldn't rely on him in must-win situations. With a roster that's equipped for a Super Bowl run aside from the quarterback spot, Indianapolis may get involved in trade talks for a superstar at the position.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay apologized to fans Friday for an "unacceptable" 2021 season and promising a much better 2022 campaign. 

"This commitment starts with me. It starts with my self-analysis, and I can tell all of Colts Nation this is something that every day, every hour, every minute we're working to fix. It's unacceptable and it will not stand," he said.

🏈💪🏈 pic.twitter.com/43C0Z4zdVb

— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) January 14, 2022

The Colts finished with a winning record for the second straight season but failed to make the playoffs at 9-8. Indianapolis has only made the postseason twice in the last seven seasons, not making it past the divisional round. 

The Colts missed the playoffs in hideous fashion. All they needed was a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, the worst team in the NFL, to close out the season. They fell 26-11 at TIAA Bank Field in a game quarterback Carson Wentz struggled in, throwing for just 185 yards, one touchdown and one interception. 

Despite missing the postseason, Indy has a lot to look forward to in the future. The team had seven players named to the Pro Bowl, which was the most in the league, and running back Jonathan Taylor set a new franchise record in rushing yards (1,811). 

While Wentz's future with the franchise is uncertain, he made strides in 2021 after an abysmal 2020 season, and there's reason to believe he could take a step forward in 2022. 

Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard was noncommittal about quarterback Carson Wentz's future with the team when addressing the media Thursday.

"When we made the decision to make a move on Carson, at the time of the decision, we felt good about it," Ballard said, per Stephen Holder of The Athletic. "And I still don't regret it. ... I won't make a comment on who's going to be here and who's not going to be here. That's not fair."

Per NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano, Ballard also said, "I think we'll look at everything," when asked about the team's quarterback situation.

The Colts' 2021 season came to a disappointing end Sunday when they lost 26-11 on the road to a Jacksonville Jaguars team that came into the game with a 2-14 record. The defeat eliminated Indianapolis from playoff contention, capping a 9-8 season.

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After veteran signal-caller Philip Rivers retired in the offseason, the Colts acquired Wentz from the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional 2022 draft pick that became a first-rounder.

Wentz was coming off the worst season of his career, as he completed 57.4 percent of his passes for 2,620 yards, 16 touchdowns and an NFL-high 15 interceptions that led to him losing the starting job to Jalen Hurts.

The Colts hoped reuniting him with head coach Frank Reich, who was previously Wentz's offensive coordinator with the Eagles, would work wonders.

Things got off to a rocky start, as Indy began the season 0-3, but it proceeded to win nine of its next 12 games, putting it in position to need just one win in its final two games to reach the playoffs for a second consecutive year.

Instead, the Colts fell 23-20 at home to the Las Vegas Raiders and 26-11 on the road to the Jags, which allowed the Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers to sneak into the playoffs ahead of them.

Wentz's play undoubtedly had a hand in the Colts missing the playoffs, as he went 16-of-27 for 148 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions against Vegas and 17-of-29 for 185 yards with one touchdown and one pick against the Jaguars.

All told, Wentz completed 62.4 percent of his passes for 3,563 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season, while also rushing for 215 yards and a score.

The numbers were a big improvement compared to 2020, but he didn't do enough down the stretch, throwing fewer than two touchdown passes in six of the final eight games of the season.

Indy's offensive game plan throughout the 2021 campaign largely relied on running back Jonathan Taylor carrying the load, and he did that expertly with 2,171 total yards and 20 touchdowns from scrimmage, establishing himself as an MVP candidate.

That strategy worked well at times, but NFL teams need strong quarterback play in order to be a great team, and Wentz often didn't provide that.

It remains to be seen whether Wentz can be that player for the Colts, but he is under contract through 2024.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich sidestepped a question Monday about whether Carson Wentz would return as the team's starting quarterback in 2022.

"We loved the team we had this year, we knew everyone we brought in this year, we expected to play winning football," Reich told reporters "Next year's roster will be next year's roster. I don't want to open it up about one player and then start talking about all of them."

The Colts posted a 9-8 record and missed the playoffs in the first season after acquiring Wentz from the Philadelphia Eagles to lead the offense.

Wentz put together a solid campaign from a statistical standpoint. He completed 62.4 percent of his throws for 3,563 yards with 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions across 17 games. He ranked 10th in ESPN's Total QBR (54.4) and received a solid 70.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

Context is a major factor in the discussion about his future, though.

The Colts featured a dominant rushing attack, led by MVP candidate Jonathan Taylor, which forced opponents to bring more defenders in to the box and opened up plenty of one-on-one matchups for Wentz in the passing game.

When Indianapolis needed the aerial attack to come through, it rarely did. Wentz threw for just 333 yards combined over the final two games of the regular season—back-to-back losses to the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars that knocked Indy out of the playoffs.

"We've got to be better in the passing game," Reich said. "It was definitely below our standards, and there's multiple reasons for that. We have to take ownership of that as coaches and players."

The tough part for the Colts, even if they wanted to consider a change under center, is the lack of intriguing options available. There are no standout options ticketed for free agency, and it's not the strongest draft class at the position, so the route to a clear upgrade would likely be a blockbuster trade.

Otherwise, Indy is likely best off keeping Wentz, who's under contract through 2024, as their starter next season.

"We'll take it piece by piece," Reich said. "We'll evaluate [Wentz's] play. We'll evaluate how we're coaching him, how I'm coaching him, with each position in the pass game. Take it apart piece by piece, and then put it back together."

The bottom line is the Colts fell short of expectations this season by missing the playoffs, so it's not a major surprise Reich is unwilling to make a firm commitment at the sport's most important position.

Barring an unexpected trade, however, it's likely Wentz returns in 2022.

The Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Rams need to end losing runs in specific situations to secure playoff spots in Week 18.

Indianapolis has not defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road in its past five attempts. The Colts need to defeat their AFC South rival to land one of the two remaining AFC wild-card spots.

The Rams will lock up the NFC West title with a win over the San Francisco 49ers. Kyle Shanahan's team has a five-game winning streak versus Sean McVay's squad but also needs a victory to help its own playoff status. The 49ers get into the postseason with a victory, and if not, they need the New Orleans Saints to lose to the Atlanta Falcons.

The AFC East title and a second wild-card spot in the AFC are also up for grabs Sunday. The Buffalo Bills must beat the New York Jets to win their division, while the wild-card spot could come down to the last game of the regular season.

                 

AFC Playoff Picture

Division Leaders

1. Tennessee (11-5)

2. Kansas City (11-5)

3. Cincinnati (10-6)

4. Buffalo (10-6)

            

The fight for the AFC's No. 1 seed is likely down to the Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans.

Tennessee plays the Houston Texans on Sunday, while Kansas City opens Week 18 opposite the Denver Broncos on Saturday.

A Titans victory secures the No. 1 seed, a first-round bye and home-field advantage for the AFC South champion. A Chiefs win, combined with a Tennessee loss, moves them back into the No. 1 position that they vacated after Week 17's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

The newly crowned AFC North champion will not have Joe Burrow or Joe Mixon available Sunday. Burrow confirmed to reporters Wednesday that he is resting ahead of the postseason, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Mixon, meanwhile, returned a positive COVID-19 test.

Cincinnati plays the Cleveland Browns, who are already eliminated from playoff contention and will start Case Keenum at quarterback.

Buffalo can move into the No. 3 spot in the AFC by way of a win over the Jets and a Bengals loss to Cleveland. The Bills must beat the Jets to land a home playoff game by way of the AFC East title. A Bills win and Bengals loss would keep Josh Allen and Co. away from the New England Patriots in the Wild Card Round.

              

Wild-Card Race

5. New England (10-6)

6. Indianapolis (9-7)

7. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)

8. Las Vegas (9-7)

9. Pittsburgh (8-7-1)

10. Baltimore (8-8)

          

The New England Patriots are playing to either win the AFC East or to maintain their No. 5 position in the AFC standings.

New England needs to beat the Miami Dolphins and have Buffalo lose to the Jets to move into the top four. If not, the Patriots will likely be the No. 5 seed.

Indianapolis needs to beat Jacksonville in a road game for the first time since 2014 to secure a wild-card spot. The Colts lost five games in north Florida and one in London during that span. The good news for Frank Reich's team is that the Jaguars are playing for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. A loss secures that for the Jags for the second year running.

Everyone else in the AFC wild-card race is rooting for the Jags because that opens up a handful of different possibilities.

The most bizarre scenario is that the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders could both get into the postseason with a tie combined with a Colts loss. The winner of Sunday night's AFC West showdown gets into the postseason regardless.

The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers face off in what could be an elimination game Sunday. Both teams need a victory and help to get into the postseason. Pittsburgh needs an Indianapolis loss and a defeat for either AFC West side to get in, while Baltimore needs the Colts, Chargers and Dolphins to fall so it can qualify with a victory.

                 

NFC Playoff Picture

Division Leaders 

1. Green Bay (13-3)

2. Los Angeles Rams (12-4)

3. Tampa Bay (12-4)

4. Dallas (11-5)

          

All eyes are on the NFC West.

The Los Angeles Rams need to end their losing streak against the San Francisco 49ers to secure the NFC West crown and the No. 2 seed. San Francisco is playing for its playoff life, so a victory may be hard to come by for Matthew Stafford and Co.

A Rams loss opens the door for the Arizona Cardinals to capture the NFC West. Arizona must beat the Seattle Seahawks in that scenario to leapfrog the Rams.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers should beat the Carolina Panthers. They will either be the No. 2 or No. 3 seed based off what happens in the NFC West games. 

The Dallas Cowboys are likely the No. 4 seed. They are on the wrong end of head-to-head tiebreakers with Tampa Bay and Arizona. Dallas faces the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday and both teams are already locked into the postseason.

            

Wild-Card Race

5. Arizona (11-5)

6. San Francisco (9-7)

7. Philadelphia (9-7)

8. New Orleans (8-8)

         

Arizona will be the No. 5 seed at worst.

The Cardinals could head back to AT&T Stadium for the Wild Card Round after defeating the Cowboys in Week 17.

If the Rams lose and Cardinals win, Los Angeles would drop down to No. 5 and face Dallas in the Wild Card Round.

San Francisco needs to beat the Rams to lock in its playoff spot. A 49ers loss opens the door for the New Orleans Saints to qualify. New Orleans must defeat the Atlanta Falcons and have the Rams take down the 49ers to sneak in as the No. 7 seed.

Philadelphia will either be the No. 6 or No. 7 seed. It has a head-to-head loss to the 49ers and a victory over the Saints.

The AFC is where most of the postseason drama lies for Week 18. 

The No. 1 overall seed in the conference could go to four different franchises, and five teams are still in contention for two wild-card positions. 

Pittsburgh Steelers' win on Monday ensured the five-way competition for the wild-card spots. The Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens are still in the mix as well.

Home-field advantage in the NFC was decided on Sunday night, when the Green Bay Packers defeated the Minnesota Vikings. 

Only one of the seven postseason spots in the NFC is up for grabs on Sunday. The San Francisco 49ers need to beat the Los Angeles Rams and see the New Orleans Saints lose to the Falcons to join the seven-team field. 

Green Bay and the No. 1 seed from the AFC will earn the only first-round byes in the postseason. The rest of the 12 participants open playoff action on wild-card weekend from January 15-17.

2021 NFL Playoff Scenarios for Week 18: pic.twitter.com/PqB4IDQaXv

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 4, 2022

AFC Playoff Picture

Division Leaders

1. Tennessee (11-5)

2. Kansas City (11-5)

3. Cincinnati (10-6)

4. Buffalo (10-6)

The Tennessee Titans, Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals all have the potential to secure the No. 1 seed through Week 18 results. 

Tennessee is in the driver's seat after it won and Kansas City lost in Week 17. The Titans need a win over the Houston Texans to secure home-field advantage and the first-round bye. 

Mike Vrabel's team could use an extra week off to potentially get Derrick Henry back from injury for the divisional round.

Kansas City needs to beat the Denver Broncos and receive help from the Texans to secure the top spot in the AFC.

Cincinnati needs losses by Kansas City and Tennessee plus a win over the Cleveland Browns to land the top spot. The Bengals own a better conference record than the Titans and a head-to-head win over the Chiefs from Week 17.

The Buffalo Bills can secure the AFC East title with a victory over the New York Jets, but they can't land the No. 1 seed because of their disadvantage in tiebreakers. 

         

Wild-Card Race

5. New England (10-6)

6. Indianapolis (9-7)

7. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)

8. Las Vegas (9-7)

9. Pittsburgh (8-7-1)

10. Baltimore (8-8)

The New England Patriots are already into the postseason.

Bill Belichick's team needs a win over the Miami Dolphins combined with a Buffalo loss to land the AFC East title. The Patriots have an outside shot to land the No. 1 seed, but they need all sorts of help from Cleveland, Denver and Houston.

The Indianapolis Colts need to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars to lock up one of the two remaining wild-card positions. 

Carson Wentz and Co. defeated the Jaguars earlier in the season, but the Colts have had trouble recently against their AFC South rival away from Lucas Oil Stadium.

Indianapolis has not beaten the Jaguars outside of its home stadium since the 2014 campaign. The Jaguars beat the Colts in Week 17 of 2019 and Week 1 of 2020 in their latest showdowns in north Florida. 

Jacksonville needs a loss to earn the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, so that streak could end on Sunday. 

The Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders will likely play for the final playoff spot on Sunday night. If Indianapolis somehow loses, the Chargers and Raiders could both get in with a tie. 

The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers are also reliant on the Jaguars to keep their playoff hopes alive. 

Pittsburgh needs Indianapolis and one of the AFC West teams to drop to eight losses. Pittsburgh could then qualify with a victory to get it to 9-7-1.

Baltimore needs to beat Pittsburgh in the regular-season finale and then hope for losses by Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Miami to earn a postseason spot. The Ravens would be the No. 7 seed in that situation thanks to head-to-head wins over the Colts and Chargers. 

              

NFC Playoff Picture

Division Leaders

1. Green Bay (13-3)

2. Los Angeles Rams (12-4)

3. Tampa Bay (12-4)

4. Dallas (11-5)

The Green Bay Packers took away the drama for the NFC's No.1 seed by securing home-field advantage on Sunday. 

Green Bay could opt to rest its starters for parts of the Week 18 clash with the Detroit Lions before it watches from the sidelines during wild-card weekend. 

The Los Angeles Rams will land on the opposite end of the NFC bracket as the Packers with a win over the San Francisco 49ers. 

Sean McVay's team needs a Week 18 win to capture the NFC West title and lock in at least one home playoff game. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers sit behind the Rams on conference record. They should beat the Carolina Panthers to finish either second or third in the NFC.

The Dallas Cowboys won the NFC East a few weeks ago. They will most likely be the No. 4 seed in the NFC bracket. Dallas has head-to-head losses to the Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay. Arizona would leap the Rams in the NFC West if it wins against the Seattle Seahawks and the Rams lose. 

    

Wild-Card Race

5. Arizona (11-5)

6. San Francisco (9-7)

7. Philadelphia (9-7)

8. New Orleans (8-8)

The second-place team in the NFC West will finish as the No. 5 seed. 

Arizona will likely defeat the Seahawks on Sunday. The Cardinals need a 49ers win over the Rams to earn a home game in the wild-card round.

If the Cardinals and Rams have the same results on Sunday, Kyler Murray and Co. will most likely head to Dallas for their playoff opener. 

The 49ers need to beat the Rams to clinch their postseason spot. San Francisco could also use a New Orleans Saints loss to the Atlanta Falcons to get in.

Philadelphia secured its playoff spot in Week 17 with a win over the Washington Football Team and some help. 

The Eagles own a head-to-head victory over New Orleans, and they lost early in the regular season to the 49ers. 

San Francisco will be the No. 6 seed if it finishes with the same record as the Eagles. Philadelphia claims that spot if New Orleans qualifies for the postseason. 

The Indianapolis Colts are hopeful of having Carson Wentz activated in time for Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler said on Get Up there are still hurdles for the 2017 Pro Bowler to clear:

“I’m hearing that the Colts are optimistic that Carson Wentz can get removed from the COVID protocol list by Saturday. But a lot has to happen. He has to remain asymptomatic, he has to be cleared by 4 p.m. on Saturday, then he has to be medically cleared on Sunday. So they’re hopeful, but it’s not a slam dunk.”

Indianapolis placed Wentz on the reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday. At the time, it appeared the Colts were all but assured to start Sam Ehlinger on Sunday.

Head coach Frank Reich confirmed he called Philip Rivers "about our situation here," a sign of how the team was exhausting every option at its disposal. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio ruled out a spectacular return of retired QB Andrew Luck. 

But the Colts got some good news in the form of the NFL's new rules on the isolation period for players who test positive for COVID-19. Following a broad recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, players can leave isolation after as little as five days if they remain asymptomatic.

That opened the door for Wentz to rejoin the team as early as Saturday, which would be a big boost as Indianapolis looks to clinch a playoff berth.

At 9-6, the Colts are second in the AFC South, one game behind the Tennessee Titans. They're on track to least seal a wild-card place, though, and victory over the Raiders will be enough to put them through to the postseason.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz will play in Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders if he is able to clear NFL protocols, coach Frank Reich told reporters Wednesday.

Under new NFL protocols, Wentz would be eligible to play five days after his positive test if he is asymptomatic. Players must be at least 24 hours removed from having a fever without the aid of medication and not exhibiting any symptoms; players will not be required to test negative and are to self-report symptoms. 

Wentz, who is unvaccinated, would have been forced to sit out 10 days under the previous rules. The new NFL rules apply regardless of a player's vaccination status, though unvaccinated players remain under stricter day-to-day rules. 

The alteration to NFL policy comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shortened the recommended isolation time for asymptomatic people from 10 days to five earlier this week. CDC director Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday the policy alteration came after an estimation of what the national public health agency "thought people would be able to tolerate." 

The CDC says asymptomatic people are at their most contagious in the early stages of contracting the virus. However, there has been criticism of the policy change because some view it as being at the behest of business interests rather than public health. 

Regardless of public sentiment, the NFL moved quickly and became the first professional sports league to adopt the shortened quarantine period. That will make several players who would have otherwise been ineligible for Week 17 games available to their team.

The Colts are winners of three straight games and six of their last seven, moving to 9-6 with an outside shot at winning the AFC South. They will need to win their last two games and have the Tennesse Titans lose out to win the division.

Having Wentz in the lineup this weekend will increase their odds, however slim, of getting the job done.