Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay made his mind up about quarterback Carson Wentz long before Wednesday’s blockbuster trade with the Washington Commanders took place.
As the trade buzz started to heat up a month ago, Wentz reportedly reached out to Irsay for a meeting in hopes of clearing the air. According to Zak Keefer of The Athletic, Irsay declined that meeting.
The quarterback, who learned he was on shaky ground with the organization over the last month, reached out to Irsay in hopes of setting up a meeting to “clear the air,” a source said. But Irsay declined the meeting.
Irsay’s frustration with Wentz was well documented. Early in the season, Irsay vented those frustrations about his quarterbacks refusal to get the vaccine. As the Colts were one of the least-vaccinated teams in the NFL, Irsay felt the quarterback had a duty to do all he could to be available.
Wentz never missed a game due to COVID-19. He did come close, though, after testing positive in Week 17. He was bailed out when the NFL changed its quarantine policy from 10 days to five for unvaccinated players. It gave Wentz enough time to make the start against the Las Vegas Raiders—a game they lost at home.
It’s clear Irsay was frustrated with Wentz’s lack of leadership skills and Keefer reported that some inside the Colts’ building felt anyone else at quarterback would have prevented a late-season collapse.
What was missing, some within the team believe, was the type of direction the Colts got from the quarterback position in recent years, namely with Andrew Luck, Philip Rivers and even Jacoby Brissett, who despite struggling late in the 2019 season remained a deeply respected voice within the locker room.
In other words, with a QB in place besides Wentz, some believe, the gutting late-season collapse the Colts suffered would have never happened.
Wentz’s performance over the final month of the season was enough in itself for the Colts to move on. But Keefer reported that the team felt there were leadership traits Wentz lacked.
That included “a lack of leadership, a resistance to hard coaching and a reckless style of play, which had a role in several close losses this year.”
It seems the Colts were intent on moving on from Wentz regardless and the fact that they did so without a clear backup plan in place is telling enough.
But Irsay’s frustrations with Wentz were clear–to the point where there was nothing the quarterback could do to salvage his time in the Circle City.
Like Colts Wire on Facebook
Follow Colts Wire on Twitter
Follow Kevin on Twitter (@KevinHickey11)
