Coming off of another Super Bowl title, the Kansas City Chiefs were already a premier destination for any free agent. But for quarterback Carson Wentz, all it took was some convincing from former Andy Reid disciple Nick Foles.
Foles played under Reid on the Eagles in 2012 and with the Chiefs in 2016. Both experiences showed the quarterback what the expectations are for Reid and his staff. As Wentz looked for his next franchise, the guidance and input he received from Foles played an active role in his decision to join the Chiefs, via Adam Teicher of ESPN.
“I remember all the good things he had to say about his time here,” Wentz said. “He absolutely loved it. He loved working with those guys, and those things he said to me back then definitely still rang true in my head as I was making this decision.”
“I just remember all the positive things he said about the organization, coaches,” Wentz continued. “Those things were definitely a factor and gave me a little more peace and comfort in knowing what I was getting into.”
In his new role, Wentz will be tasked with backing up star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. While it offers no guaranteed playing time, Wentz’s role is one of the more prestigious backup jobs in the league. If Mahomes were to ever suffer an injury, all eyes and high levels of expectations would be on the quarterback. He would then be given an opportunity to truly prove if he can sink or swim.
Alongside Foles’ words, Wentz was drawn to the Chiefs by seeing just how much success they’ve had since Mahomes and Reid’s arrival. He no longer wanted to just watch and was keen to get in on Kansas City’s winning ways.
“Why I’m here today is just the winning culture and seeing it from afar, seeing it around the league for the last couple of years [and admiring] it for years,” Wentz said. “That was a big piece of the puzzle for me. The desire to be here on a winning team, in a good culture, in a good community with a good fanbase seemed like a good fit.”
Carson Wentz’s journey to Chiefs
Carson Wentz entered the NFL with plenty of fanfare as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He was coming off of a dominant run at the FCS level with North Dakota State. The Eagles were certainly impressed with what they saw from him.
There were certainly some ups in his tenure. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017, and threw for 16,811 yards, 113 touchdowns and 50 interceptions over his five-year tenure. The Eagles made the playoffs in three of those five seasons, winning the Super Bowl in 2017. However, due to injury, Foles was under center instead of Wentz.
With injuries and ineffectiveness winning over, the Eagles moved on from Wentz after the 2020 season. From there, he has played for a different teach in each year, going from the Indianapolis Colts to Washington Commanders and ending that stint with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023.
Outside of a 9-8 season with the Colts, Wentz has struggled to find recent NFL success. He went 2-5 with the Rams and made it just two contests with the Commanders. But all of that now is in the past.
Wentz is ready for his new opportunity with the Chiefs. He was able to see with his own eyes just how good of a franchise Kansas City wasn’t. Once he heard the inside scoop from Nick Foles, he was sold. The Chiefs had similar feelings, perhaps without Foles’ input. While Wentz might not be the quarterback he was entering the league, Kansas City still felt he made the most sense as Mahomes’ backup.
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