It’s been a while since Colts owner Jim Irsey told the world how he felt about Carson Wentz’s experiment in Indianapolis, allowing the quarterback to marinate his ex-boss’s comments.
Even now, Wenz is still surprised by how his time with Irsay’s Colts ended.
“I didn’t expect things to turn out the way they did,” Wentz said during a Colin Cowhard podcast appearance on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I thought things were pretty good there. I had a great relationship with every single person in this building. I can’t say enough good things about the people there.
Indianapolis acquired Wentz in the belief that it would be a small reclamation project for coach Frank Reich, who worked as Wentz’s offensive coordinator in Philadelphia before moving to Indianapolis to become head coach of the Colts. There was a connection and proof that the Reich knew how to put Wenz in position to succeed. And for a decent part of the 2021 season, their gambling appeared in the payout queue.
Then the Colts collapsed in the last few weeks of the season and the loss of the NFL’s worst team in week 18 – Jacksonville Jaguars – sealed their fate as a team that will spend the postseason at home. Wentz was horrible in the game, failing to lead the superb Colts past a team expected to watch off-season vacations rather than an upset victory over a division rival. Irsey was so upset by the result that he recorded a video of asphalt, promising Colts fans that he would do everything possible to make sure that such a collapse would not happen again.
Obviously, the move from Wentz was a necessity.
“I think the worst thing you can do is make a mistake and try to continue living with it in the future,” Irsey later explained in late March. “For us, it was something we had to move away from as a franchise. It was very obvious.”
After sending Wentz to Washington, Indianapolis acquired Matt Ryan in the belief that a proven quarterback veteran was all the Colts needed to make a major title in the Super Bowl. They found this in Ryan while Wentz was at his next stop with a little fuel added to his fire.
“This is what it is. Everyone has the right to their own opinion,” Wentz said. “I thought last year was a really fun year. I thought we did some amazing things, but we didn’t make it in the end – obviously. I had a hard time down this stretch and the weather was bad.”
Wentz had moments with the Colts, including a stunning set of throws completed to bolster Indianapolis to win over Arizona over Christmas. The Colts seemed legal – until they were.
Washington welcomes Wentz to his new home, where we will see how the former second choice will have another chance to prove its worth. If things go as they did in Indianapolis, this may be his last. Wentz seems to be focused on avoiding such worries.
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