Commanders' Carson Wentz Trade Faces Dilemma While He Sits Out

The Washington Commanders' trade for Carson Wentz this offseason could take a turn if he remains on the sidelines.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 26, 2022

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The Washington Commanders' offseason was defined by the trade that brought quarterback Carson Wentz to D.C. from the Indianapolis Colts.

The trade sent Wentz, a 2022 second-round pick (defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis), and a 2022 seventh-round pick (cornerback Christian Holmes) to Washington for a 2022 second-round pick (which would turn into wide receiver Alec Pierce), a 2022 third-round pick (tight end Jelani Woods) and the final piece, a 2023 conditional third-round pick.

The condition? Wentz must play 70 percent of the team's offensive snaps this season in order for that pick to stay a third-rounder. If he doesn't, it will become a second-round pick.

If Wentz is sidelined longer than expected with this injury or if Taylor Heinicke wins the starting job in his absence, the Commanders might have to send the Colts a better draft pick than they have to. However, coach Ron Rivera isn't concerned about Wentz's trade conditions when determining who to start at quarterback.

“Well, it shouldn’t have to," Rivera said via Ben Standig of The Athletic. But, again, we’ll see. I don’t want to bench a guy and not play a guy just because of something … we put in the contract. We’re going to try and win at the same time; we also got to try and develop (our younger players).”

The Commanders - without Wentz - will play the Colts Sunday at 4:25 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium.

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Published Oct 26, 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.