There’ve been some concerning reports coming out of Washington Commanders training camp regarding the play of newly-acquired quarterback Carson Wentz.
The former No. 2 overall pick has been taking some serious heat for his lack of accuracy during the 2022 preseason — raising some significant concerns for fans of the Washington squad.
That being said, Ron Rivera and the Commanders coaching staff aren’t “overly concerned” about these preseason struggles.
Wentz has been heavily criticized over his career for his failure to meet expectations — first with the Philadelphia Eagles and then the Indianapolis Colts.
“The narratives are all unfair,” Rivera said during a recent appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I mean, obviously he left each place for their reasons. OK, great — that’s their reasons. He’s here for our reason. He’s here because we want him here. He’s here because we see what he can do, we see what he’s done. And based on what we do, we see there’s an opportunity. And that’s why he’s here.
“And we have a lot of confidence in what we’ve seen so far. The guys have all assimilated to him. They’ve rallied around him. And that’s a huge plus because, again, based on what we went through for the last couple of years — and probably before I got here — trying to find the quarterback.”
The Commanders acquired Wentz in a trade with the Colts earlier this offseason. While the veteran QB isn’t exactly an elite QB option, Rivera is looking to maximize his potential this coming season.
“Now all of a sudden there’s an opportunity for us to settle in on a guy — let’s do it,” Rivera said. “Let’s get behind him. Let’s give him every opportunity to succeed. And that’s what we’re gonna do.”