Carson

Wentz

Wentz unfortunately delivered an unforgettably frustrating performance as the Broncos shut out the Chiefs. The Broncos’ elite pass rush dominated from start to finish, pressuring Wentz on a Week 18-high 43.5 percent of dropbacks while tacking 5.0 NFL sacks onto their league-leading 60.0 NFL-sack total. Wentz does not appear capable of leading the Chiefs offense if Patrick Mahomes were to miss time. The Chiefs are on bye next week, having secured the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed.

This decision was expected to be handed down sometime in the week, as the 15-1 Chiefs have already secured the AFC West and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. The Chiefs are already in playoff mode and are expected to rest several starters as they officially prepare to become the first threepeat team in NFL history. Wentz last started in Week 18 for the Rams when they sat their starters ahead of the playoffs and threw for 163-2-1 while surprising with another 56 yards and a touchdown on the ground on 17 carries.

Though Mahomes is “built differently,” per Rapoport, and won’t miss the usual 4-6 weeks it takes to recover from a high ankle sprain, his Week 16 status is in doubt. That would mean Carson Wentz would get the nod for KC against the Texans. It would be a marked downgrade for Travis Kelce, DeAndre Hopkins, and the rest of the Chiefs pass catchers. The team will do everything in its power to have Mahomes ready to go for the postseason.

The week-to-week designation undoubtedly puts Mahomes’ Week 16 availability into question, and perhaps his availability for the remainder of the regular season. with the AFC West already secured, the Chiefs could opt to sit Mahomes for the remainder of the regular season and all his ankle to get fully healed — or close to it — in time for the playoffs. If he doesn’t play in Week 16, the Chiefs would be forced to turn to Carson Wentz, who joined them on a one-year deal this offseason. Wentz saw his first action in Week 15’s win over the Browns, throwing for 20 yards on two pass attempts while also rushing three times for zero yards. He would have some mid to low-end QB2 appeal in 2QB/Superflex leagues but should be avoided in standard 1QB leagues.

Fresh off half a season in Sean McVay finishing school, Wentz will slide in as Blaine Gabbert’s replacement as Patrick Mahomes’ clipboard holder. Wentz is more Chad Henne than Gabbert as a backup, having started far more games, including in the playoffs. Despite his occasional locker room issues and recent ineffectiveness, Wentz would be a better multi-week fill-in than Gabbert. He is also presumably now comfortable as a backup after his painful fade-out as starter. It’s a no-risk move for the Super Bowl-or-bust Chiefs.

Wentz was the Rams’ leading rusher both in terms of attempts and yardage. He rushed 16 times in the game, while Matthew Stafford has rushed just 22 times all season. While that was obviously a side effect of the Rams playing without Kyren Williams and many of their other starters, it was a good showcase for Wentz’ health and athleticism at just 31 years old. As a passer, he pushed the ball down field when he needed to and made a great tight window throw to Tutu Atwell for the two-point conversion that gave the Rams the win. He absolutely deserves to remain on an NFL roster and would be one of the best back-ups in the league if he was willing to accept that job somewhere in 2024.

With the Rams having clinched a playoff spot, head coach Sean McVay will give Matthew Stafford a breather before the postseason. Wentz, who signed with the Rams in early November, will get his first start in just over a calendar year. With the Rams and 49ers both already in the playoffs, we should expect to see plenty of back-ups on the field this weekend.

The signing of Wentz is a “splash” in the eerily quiet free agent quarterback market. Wentz, who is now on his fourth team in four seasons, will have a chance to serve as the backup to Matthew Stafford after a poor one-start outing by Brett Rypien in Week 8. Wentz went 2-5 as a starter with the Commanders last season, throwing for 1,755-11-9 while infamously losing against the Browns to eliminate the Commanders from playoff contention. The former No. 2 overall pick is a shell of what he once was in 2017 when he threw for 3,296-33-7 in an MVP caliber season, but is a more capable backup than Rypien or the now released Dresser Wynn. The Rams are on bye this week, and head coach Sean McVay said he expects Matthew Stafford (thumb) to be back by Week 11, meaning Wentz is little more than an insurance policy at this point.

According to Schefter, Wentz has been in Tampa Bay “throwing and studying film” with Jon Gruden. The free agent market has felt relatively quiet for Wentz this offseason, although ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported in May that teams have called the former No. 2 overall pick about jobs. Wentz was most closely linked to the Raiders as a potential backup plan to Jimmy Garoppolo, whose ailing foot could lead to him being cut before the start of the season. Wentz’s one-year stint in Washington went about as poorly as expected, as he finished with a 2-5 record while throwing for 1,755 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. His collapse in a Week 17 contest against the Browns that ended the Commanders hopes at a playoff berth was the final straw for head coach Ron Rivera, as the team opted to cut ties with him at the end of the season. Wentz joining a quarterback-needy team at some point in the offseason wouldn’t be surprising, but he’s unlikely to provide any real relief to an offense.

Gutierrez is not the first person on the Raiders beat we’ve seen speculate about Wentz coming aboard Josh McDaniels’ ship if Garoppolo’s foot proves to not be ready by training camp. “Raiders pass game coordinator Scott Turner has experience with Wentz as the Washington Commanders’ offensive coordinator last season, for what it’s worth,” Gutierrez added. Currently, the Raiders have Brian Hoyer slated to be the main backup for Garoppolo, with 2023 fourth-rounder Aidan O’Connell in a developmental role.