When last we heard about free-agent quarterback Carson Wentz, ESPN reported that Wentz has “received interest” and “might wait longer into the offseason to see what develops and is “open to starter or backup roles.”
Now, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that Wentz “has been spending time in Tampa, throwing and studying film with former NFL head coach Jon Gruden.”
Schefter adds that “Wentz wants and intends to play this season, and is awaiting the right situation.”
It’s unclear whether and to what extent working with Gruden will make that happen. Despite his recent short-term stint with the Saints, where former Gruden pupil Derek Carr is trying to get conformable, Gruden remains persona non grata in most NFL circles.
In three months since he was released, there has been no report of tangible interest in Wentz. No report of offers. No report of negotiations.
The second overall pick in 2016, Wentz was dumped in consecutive years by the Eagles, the Colts, and the Commanders. If anyone was interested in Wentz as a starter, he’d already be signed.
He’s good enough to be a backup, but is he ready to accept that status? Is he willing to concede that he’s no longer QB1, and to act accordingly as QB2?
In the end, it might take an injury or two, or more, to create an opportunity for Wentz. Working with Gruden -- and trumpeting that to the world via leaks to ESPN -- won’t change that reality.
