It seems like everyone is talking about new Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz these days. Both of Wentz’s former head coaches — Frank Reich and Doug Pederson — spoke about Wentz at the NFL owner’s meetings this week.
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay also spoke of Wentz, making it clear he felt the Wentz era in Indy was a mistake, all but blaming his former quarterback for the Colts not making the playoffs.
If each of Wentz’s former head coaches and one owner could discuss Wentz, then why couldn’t the owner who drafted Wentz — Philadelphia’s Jeffrey Lurie — also talk about his former franchise quarterback.
Lurie, also speaking at the NFL owner’s meetings, regrets how things ended with Wentz but certainly has plenty of fond memories.
“Let me just say, Carson, 2017, we’ll never forget it,” Lurie said per Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Probably played at an MVP level. There’s no way we’d be a No. 1 seed going into the playoffs if it weren’t for Carson. I doubt we would have been able to win the Super Bowl if we didn’t have the No. 1 seed. It’s hard to know. But that was the best of Carson. That was the best of Carson. When we drafted Carson, that’s what we hoped for; it was an MVP-level quarterback.
That 2017 season is why Indianapolis traded for Wentz, and Washington traded for him earlier this month. Both organizations believe that player still exists. While Wentz posted some solid numbers in 2021 with the Colts, he was far from the player he was earlier in his career.
Now that Wentz is back in the NFC East, how will he be welcomed in Philadelphia?
“I welcome Carson when he comes back,” Lurie said. “I think I’d rather take the road of, ‘He really helped us in a very important way in the 2017 season.’ And I wish he would have been able to maintain the level of growth throughout, and it didn’t pan out that way.”
Lurie likely his thoughts about Wentz and how things ended but chose to take the high road.
Wentz’s return to Philadelphia will be one of the NFL’s most interesting contests in 2022.