Another seat has been taken in the NFL’s game of quarterback musical chairs, taking away a landing spot for the New York Jets’ Sam Darnold.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts have agreed upon a trade that will send quarterback Carson Wentz from Philly to Indy.
Philadelphia has agreed to trade Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional 2022 second-round pick that could turn into a first, league sources tell @mortreport and me.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 18, 2021
Once a bona fide franchise quarterback for the Eagles, Wentz’s Philadelphia career took a harsh downturn in 2020. Talk surrounding the status of Wentz’s future in Philadelphia began in April as the Eagles used a second-round pick to select a potential long-term replacement for Wentz in Jalen Hurts. Wentz then proceeded to have an unfathomably bad season, ranking 34th out of 35 qualified quarterbacks with a 72.8 passer rating, leading to him being benched for Hurts in December.
The only qualified quarterback with a worse passer rating than Wentz in 2020? That would be the Jets’ Sam Darnold (72.7 rating), who, like Wentz, had a massively disappointing 2020 season that has led to plenty of trade talk.
One of the teams that had commonly been mentioned in league circles as a potential landing spot for Darnold was the Colts. With Philip Rivers‘ retirement, the Colts had an opening under center. Indianapolis’ pristine offensive line and revered coaching staff presented a situation that many believed would be an ideal spot for Darnold to fulfill his potential.
With Wentz now locked in as Indianapolis’ starter, the Colts are off the board as a potential suitor for Darnold should the Jets decide to deal him.
Other teams that have been rumored as possible destinations for Darnold include the New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, Pittsburgh Steelers, and San Francisco 49ers, but most of the talk surrounding where Darnold could end up has been little more than speculation. There has not been much concrete, legitimate information shared about which teams have interest in him or how aggressive the Jets have been in shopping him. So, we’re just going to have to continue sitting back and playing the waiting game.
The Darnold saga is the first and most crucial domino to fall for the Jets this offseason. With the Colts coming off the board today, the list of suitors for Darnold’s services just got a little bit smaller.
