Troy Aikman on Commanders Carson Wentz: 'Last Opportunity'

NFL Hall of Famer and ESPN broadcaster Troy Aikman says Wentz's third team in three years is his last opportunity to get things right

There might have been other No. 2 overall draft picks that didn't make it in the NFL. But maybe not one that has had more chances in such a short time as former Philadelphia Eagles pick, quarterback Carson Wentz.

And former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Hall of Famer, and current broadcast legend Troy Aikman thinks it might be his last.

Aikman joins his old FOX partner Joe Buck in the re-tooled Monday Night Football booth for 2022, and one of the more anticipated Monday night matchups will be when Washington and Wentz visit the Eagles Nov. 14.

Troy Aikman (R) and Carson Wentz

Carson Wentz (R) and Colts owner Jim Irsay

Carson Wentz

"I think that right now, Carson had an opportunity; it didn't end well in Philadelphia, of course," Aikman said this week during an ESPN conference call. "He then got traded to Indianapolis. Didn't go great for him there. They decided to make another change at that position, and now he's landed in Washington.

"This is probably his last opportunity, just being blunt about it, to prove that he can be a franchise quarterback in the NFL."

Aikman knows a little something about rough starts. After being drafted by Dallas No. 1 overall in 1989 and being named the starter in camp over Steve Walsh - who the Cowboys drafted in the supplemental draft that same year - Aikman broke a finger in Week 4 and watched Walsh replace him and earn the only win for Dallas in a 1-15 season.

Of course, Aikman remained resilient, kept the starting job, and the rest is history including three Super Bowl victories.

Wentz's career has gone the complete opposite of Aikman's and started out strong. He showed tremendous promise as a rookie in 2016, and had a terrific 2017 campaign, even earning a Pro Bowl nod. Wentz was even in the discussion for league MVP before his injury during the Eagles' Super Bowl season.

Troy Aikman

Carson Wentz

Carson Wentz and Ron Rivera

But his play quickly took a nosedive in 2020, and Philadelphia had seemingly decided to let rookie Jalen Hurts take the reigns at quarterback, and shipped Wentz to Indianapolis via trade.

Things didn't go well in Indy, and he was traded again for the second straight offseason. This time to the old NFC East division rival Washington Commanders.

Wentz will see several former coaches and teammates in 2022, but for Aikman, this should be Wentz's last chance to show he can handle being a No. 1 quarterback in the NFL.

"I'm hopeful that he's able to take advantage of that [chance]," Aikman said. "Looking forward to that matchup between those two teams [in Philadelphia]. But this is kind of a defining season, I think, for Carson Wentz and what his future is going to look like."