Sam Darnold, Carson Wentz
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

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.

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.

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Michael Nania is one of the best analytical New York Jets minds in the world, combining his statistical expertise with game film to add proper context to the data. Nania scrapes every corner, ensuring you know all there is to know about everyone from the QB to the long snapper. Nania's Numbers, Nania's QB Grades, and Nania's All-22 give fans a deeper and more well-rounded dive into the Jets than anyone else can offer. Email: michael.nania[at]jetsxfactor.com - Twitter: @Michael_Nania
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JamesD74
JamesD74
2 years ago

How’s this for a trade idea:

– Jets send Sam Darnold and their 2021 6th round pick to the 49ers
– 49ers send Jimmy Garapolo and their 2021 4th round pick to the Texans
– Jets send the 2 1st round picks they got from Seattle in the Jamal Adams deal to the Texans
– Texans send Deshaun Watson the the Jets

Everybody wins!!