After just one season in the nation’s capital, Carson Wentz could be looking for a new team this spring.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Commanders “will probably part ways” with the veteran quarterback after coach Ron Rivera indicated that the team plans to move forward with 2022 draft pick Sam Howell under center at the start of training camp.
“The biggest thing we decided is he will start out as QB1,” Rivera said of Howell recently. “He will most certainly get the first opportunity. We go into OTAs and minicamp, he’ll be QB1. He’ll fight for that position. We’ll give him every opportunity to earn it, and we’ll see what happens when we get into training camp and through it.”
Wentz is due $26.2 million next season, which would be a steep price to pay for the Commanders to pay a likely backup.
The Commanders acquired Wentz from the Colts in a trade ahead of the 2022 season, where he spent just one year. The former No. 2 pick began the campaign as the team’s starter, but a finger injury sidelined him for a handful of weeks, and when he returned, Rivera chose to stick with Taylor Heinicke behind center. Wentz briefly was given back the job in Week 16, but he struggled the following week against the Browns and was benched for Washington’s final game of the year in favor of Howell.
Wentz ended the season having completed 62.3% of his passes for 1,755 yards with 11 touchdown passes and nine interceptions in eight games.
If Wentz has played his final snap in Washington, he will be headed to his fourth team in four years after stints with the Eagles, Colts and Commanders. Opportunities to start are few and far between at this point, meaning the veteran signal-caller may have to accept a backup role to begin 2023.
