The Indianapolis Colts will be without starting quarterback Carson Wentz as he recovers from foot 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
His timetable for return is a big window so it is not yet clear how much regular season action he could be sidelined for.
In the meantime, let’s take a look at the four current Colts quarterbacks on the roster and grade each of them.
1. Jacob Eason = B
The #Colts new QB1: Jacob Eason. pic.twitter.com/LfNIy5ILCJ
— Indy SportsOne (@IndySportsOne) August 2, 2021
Jacob Eason, 23, was drafted by the Colts in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft (No. 122 pick).
He played two seasons at Georgia and one at Washington before foregoing his senior year and declaring for the draft.
Eason did not get into an NFL game last season, but he did get to work and train alongside Philip Rivers and Jacoby Brissett.
Rivers spoke highly of Eason’s work ethic and was impressed with his arm; his comments about Eason are the basis for his “B” grade.
#Colts starting QB: Philip Rivers, on Jacob Eason:
"He made a throw the other day, I shook my head and said, 'I can't do that. I can't make that throw'." pic.twitter.com/gl0HWVZeHT
— Lawrence Owen (@Colts_Law) September 2, 2020
Coach Frank Reich has already said that the starting job is Eason’s if he shows he is up to the task at camp.
The problem is that Reich himself was not been at camp last week because he had COVID-19, and as Rivers said, Eason did not get the benefit of a preseason of reps in 2020.
Eason is ramping up the learning curve with more reps with the first team than he has ever had, and Reich is back onsite with the team as of August 2 so we will learn more about Eason’s progression in the coming days.
“The job is Jacob’s right now … and he’s gotta earn it. But he’s in the driver’s seat.” — Frank Reich on Jacob Eason with Carson Wentz out the next several weeks
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) August 2, 2021
2. Brett Hundley = C
Brett Hundley is 28 years old and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
He played college football at UCLA.
Since that time, he has bounced around to several teams including the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals.
Over his career, he has a 59.1 percent completion rate with 199 completed passes, nine touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
The majority of his playing time came in 2017 when he played nine games for the Packers when Aaron Rodgers had a broken collarbone.
The Colts have signed Brett Hundley after Carson Wentz's foot injury
Wentz's timeline for return is indefinite pic.twitter.com/ZhSL3Ebizt
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) July 31, 2021
Part of the reason Hundley has shuttled around to various teams is because he is just an average backup.
He could come in for short-term relief potentially, but he is not a long-term solution for a team like the Colts that has a good offensive line and has enough talent on the roster to make a playoff run.
3. Jalen Morten = C
Jalen Morten, 24, is an undrafted free agent from the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Packers signed him for the 2020 season but released him this spring.
He has never taken an NFL snap.
Morten comes from Prairie View A&M University.
His lack of experience and emergence into the NFL from a less prominent college football program hindered his grade.
4. Sam Ehlinger = C
Sam Ehlinger, 22, is the rookie draft pick out of the University of Texas.
The Colts selected him in the sixth round with the No. 218 pick.
He is the least NFL-ready of the young quarterbacks on the Colts bench.
Sam Ehlinger next up on the Colts depth chart 👀 pic.twitter.com/Ck7gXp0RgY
— Old Row Sports (@OldRowSports) August 2, 2021
Conclusion
Replacing Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck has been a difficult task for the Colts organization.
Rivers retired after a good 2020 season with the team, but they hope Wentz is a long-term solution.
The jury is still out on whether that is the case; in the meantime, there are slim pickings beyond Eason on the Colts bench.
NEXT: Colts Now Lose Top Offensive Lineman To Familiar Foot Injury