The Indianapolis Colts decided to take a chance on Carson Wentz this offseason.
The pairing just made sense.
Head coach Frank Reich worked with the quarterback in Philadelphia and the Eagles made it clear they wanted nothing to do with Wentz anymore.
Philip Rivers opted for retirement and the Colts saw Wentz as their top option.
Unfortunately, he will miss a chunk of the season due to a foot injury that will require surgery.
Breaking: Carson Wentz will undergo foot surgery, Colts head coach Frank Reich announced.
Wentz will miss 5-12 weeks. pic.twitter.com/saU02byev8
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 2, 2021
This is obviously not what the Colts had in mind when signing him, and the team is now in a tricky situation.
The Initial Timetable
The initial word is that Wentz will be out anywhere from 5 to 12 weeks.
That is, obviously, not a clear timetable at all.
If it is five weeks, Wentz can return near the start of the season.
However, if it is a full 12 weeks, the Colts need a proper replacement.
Eagles fans are probably sitting at home hardly surprised at this news.
Wentz entered the league in 2016 and since then he has played a full 16 games on only two occasions.
The first was in his rookie year and the second came in 2019.
Last year was a total disaster at the end that featured the Eagles openly tanking in the season finale.
Wentz had to go and the Colts were there as a buyer.
The Indianapolis front office may now be asking questions because the foot injury is described as one that Wentz has had since maybe high school.
Breaking: Frank Reich says Carson Wentz had an old foot injury dating back to perhaps high school according to doctors. Over time, the broken bone came loose and caused pain. The decision has been made to undergo surgery and remove it. 5-12 weeks.
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) August 2, 2021
This sounds like an injury that was just waiting to happen, raising plenty of concern about Wentz’s medicals.
For now, the focus shifts to finding someone to be the Week 1 starter.
Colts Have Options
The Colts can go one of two ways.
They can go with an in-house option, such as Jacob Eason or Sam Ehlinger.
Of course, both lack proper NFL experience and had no intentions of getting playing time in 2021.
The other option is to swing a trade, which is made more difficult by the fact the team had its salary cap situation set before the season.
However, the team doesn’t want to punt on the year, especially if Wentz can return before it is too late.
One obvious option is Chicago Bears veteran Nick Foles.
He is now behind Andy Dalton and Justin Fields on the depth chart, with no real purpose in Chicago any longer.
He would be the best option and would be reunited with Reich, and Wentz for that matter.
The Bears would love to move him and the Colts need a starter.
The options go on, which is unfortunately part of the Wentz experience so far in his career.
He has never been able to stay healthy and landing Foles in Indianapolis would be quite the ironic situation following the way things went in Philadelphia just a few years ago.
NEXT: Should The Colts Have Concerns About Carson Wentz?