Carson Wentz, Jared Goff Cross Paths Again in Commanders vs. Lions Matchup

The Detroit Lions traded for Jared Goff last season, while the Washington Commanders dealt for Carson Wentz this offseason. But which 2016 NFL Draft quarterback will come out on top Sunday?

Jeremy Brener | Sep 17, 2022

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Quarterbacks Jared Goff and Carson Wentz will forever be linked throughout their football lives. And the next chapter of their crossed careers comes Sunday when Wentz's Washington Commanders (0-1) travel to the midwest to face Goff's Detroit Lions at Ford Field.

Goff and Wentz might as well have carbon-copy careers at this point because the pair have shared several career-defining moves on their paths.

Goff, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, was a highly-touted prospect who the Los Angeles Rams traded up several spots to take. Goff elevated the Rams' ceiling, bringing them to a Super Bowl in 2018 but ultimately fell short. In 2021, the Rams traded Goff to the Lions after failing to continue the team's success. Now in Detroit, Goff is looking to bring the Lions back to the playoffs.

"He's had some success in his career, very similar to what our guy has had," head coach Ron Rivera said. "Our guy's had a lot of success in his career as well. So, these are just two guys that have another opportunity with another team and that's really the crux of it is that, you know, they have opportunities somewhere else.”

Wentz, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, was also a highly-touted prospect who the Philadelphia Eagles traded up several spots to take. Wentz elevated the Eagles' ceiling, kicking off a Super Bowl run in 2017 before a torn ACL (which he suffered against Goff's Rams) sidelined him for the playoffs. In 2021, the Eagles traded Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts after failing to continue the team's success. Wentz nearly brought the Colts to the playoffs last year, but after falling short, Indianapolis traded him to Washington, where he hopes to finish what he started last season in bringing a team back to the postseason.

Goff and Wentz will forever be tangled in their NFL stories, and the newest chapter comes Sunday when the Lions and Commanders face off in Detroit. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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Published Sep 17, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.