Colts 'grew frustrated' with QB Carson Wentz throughout 2021 season

Probably the biggest surprise about the Indianapolis Colts agreeing to officially send quarterback Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders when the new league year opens next Wednesday is that Indianapolis found a buyer for Wentz before he could hit free agency. 

Colts owner Jim Irsay, head coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard all teased in January a parting of the ways was inevitable after Wentz failed to guide the club to a single win over the last two games with a playoff berth in reach, and it had been believed Indianapolis was willing to eat a dead-cap hit of $15 million to release the 29-year-old later this month. 

According to Zak Keefer of The Athletic, the marriage between quarterback and franchise soured not too long after Indianapolis' famous trade with the Philadelphia Eagles that the NFL processed last March. 

"As for the Colts, the issues with Wentz stretched back to before the season began, one source said, and over the course of the year, some grew frustrated at what they deemed a lack of leadership, a resistance to hard coaching and a reckless style of play, which had a role in several close losses this year," Keefer wrote. 

Keefer continued: "Colts' brass simply didn’t trust him to be the franchise quarterback moving forward, and they weren’t willing to bring him back in 2022 and hope for better." 

Could Wentz have saved his job had he played better against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18 and taken the Colts to the postseason tournament? It's unclear, but what is known is that he completed 17-of-29 attempts for a paltry 185 yards with a touchdown, an interception, and a horrific 4.3 total QBR in that must-win game. 

"Thus, the decision was made swiftly after the Week 18 debacle in Jacksonville: Wentz wouldn’t return for a second season in Indianapolis," Keefer wrote. 

So what's next for the Colts? Keefer reports 2021 sixth-round draft pick Sam Ehlinger could receive a legitimate opportunity to win the job. Indianapolis is also expected to look for a proven commodity such as San Francisco 49ers veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who could be had at a relatively cheap price this spring.