Commanders BREAKING: QB Carson Wentz OUT 4-6 Weeks; IR Possibility?

Washington Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz fractured his thumb in Thursday's win against the Chicago Bears. Now, Wentz is set to be out 4-6 weeks.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 17, 2022

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders season is taking another turn Monday after it was revealed that quarterback Carson Wentz will be out 4-6 weeks. NFL Network was the first to report the news.

"#Commanders QB Carson Wentz is facing a recovery time of roughly 4-6 weeks and Injured Reserve is a consideration, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo," insider Ian Rapoport tweeted. "He’s currently in Los Angeles meeting with a hand specialist because of his fractured ring finger."

Wentz hurt his finger in Thursday's 12-7 win against the Chicago Bears, where he played through the pain but threw for just 99 yards.

With Wentz out for at least a month, he is expected to miss games against the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts (reunion opportunity missed), Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles. There's also a chance he misses games against the Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons.

Wentz is missing a crucial stretch of the season where the Commanders will likely have their season made or broken. Now, Washington must operate with a backup quarterback.

For the second straight season, Taylor Heinicke is expected to be thrust into the starting role. Last season, Heinicke started 15 games for Washington last season, throwing for 3,419 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

The Commanders like Heinicke, but not enough to keep him as the starter despite playing most of the snaps at quarterback last season. Washington also drafted North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell in the fifth round of this year's draft, but he's been inactive for all six of the team's games so far.

The Commanders, sans Wentz, play their next game Sunday against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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Published Oct 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.