'Still That Guy': Eagles Teammate Raves About Commanders QB Carson Wentz

The Washington Commanders quarterback still has some good football left in him according to his former teammate.

Jeremy Brener | May 9, 2022

NFL veteran Torrey Smith won two Super Bowl rings during his eight-year career. One of those rings came with the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2017 season.

Who was the Eagles' QB during that Super Bowl run? New Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz.

Carson Wentz and Ron Rivera

Carson Wentz

Smith has a lot to be thankful for with Wentz, who was on his way to being an MVP candidate in 2017 before a horrific torn ACL that has coincided with Wentz's career downfall.

Five years later, Wentz finds himself in Washington for what could be his last chance to prove he is a long-term starting quarterback. But his former teammate came to his defense on NFL Network to prove why he's still capable of being one of the best signal callers in the league.

The last two seasons have been particularly rough for Wentz and have led to his team seeking a trade for him. In 2020, Wentz threw for 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 12 games in his final season with the Eagles. That led to a trade to the Indianapolis Colts.

His year with the Colts was better. Wentz started all 17 games, throwing for 3,536 yards and 27 touchdowns against seven interceptions. However, it wasn't enough for the Colts to want him to return, and he was shipped to Washington.

But despite his regression in Philadelphia, last year's numbers provide hope that things can work out again. Smith certainly believes so.

"[Wentz is] a deep threat," Smith said. "All he needs is a guy with some speed, and he has a couple of them...3 of them...in Washington. He still has the ability to [throw] the ball down the field.... That arm strength is still there."

Ron Rivera

Martin Mayhew

Ron Rivera

Wentz will have the opportunity to work with Terry McLaurin, who could be the best receiver he's worked with in his NFL career. And the team added wide receiver Jahan Dotson in the first round of the draft, who's expected to be another weapon for him.

"Carson Wentz is still that guy, and there’s a lot of great football to go," Smith said.

Hopefully that great football comes this season for the Commanders.

Published May 9, 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.