There was a lot said about Carson Wentz’s fit with the Washington Commanders in the offseason. Most believed Wentz was done, and the Commanders were better off looking elsewhere for a quarterback.
At one point, the criticism of Wentz felt too much, as some felt more personal than professional. However, his teammates in Washington have defended Wentz as a great teammate and leader.
How has Wentz performed through two weeks as Washington’s quarterback?
In two weeks, Wentz has completed 65.5% of his passes for 650 yards, with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. His play has not only kept Washington in games but brought them back from deficits.
While Wentz may not receive national attention for his play, he has made the record books. According to NFL Research Wentz is the first quarterback since QB starts were first tracked in 1950 to pass for over 300 yards and 3+ touchdowns in his first two starts with his new team.
Carson Wentz is the first player since QB starts were first tracked in 1950 to have 300+ pass yards and 3+ pass TD in each of his first 2 starts with a new team.#HTTC @Commanders
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) September 18, 2022
Think about that for a moment. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Kurt Warner and Brett Favre are some of the Hall-of-Fame [or future] passers who’ve switched teams over the years.
Another quarterback, Russell Wilson, who is viewed much more favorably than Wentz, also switched teams in the offseason. How has he played through two weeks? Go look him up. But he gets a pass. Would Wentz receive the same pass if he were playing as poorly as Wilson?
Look, Wilson will play better, and Wentz may very well regress, but he deserves some respect for how well he’s played early in the 2022 NFL season.
