Carson Wentz, once considered one of the NFL’s star quarterbacks, has officially been listed as a backup every year since 2022, a stark contrast to his early days. It’s wild to think about, considering the hype he brought to the league as a former No. 2 overall pick with elite arm talent. This isn’t just about a guy finding a new team; we’re talking about a player who has now played for six different franchises in six seasons, becoming one of the most experienced, and certainly well-traveled, players out there.
The Draft Day Hype and That Electric 2017 Run
The journey for Wentz started with massive expectations after his five years at North Dakota State, where he snagged two FCS national titles as a starter and three more as a backup. The Philadelphia Eagles snatched him up with the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, making a trade up with the Cleveland Browns to get their guy. Analysts initially pegged him as a potential mid-first-rounder, but Wentz absolutely crushed the draft process, flying up boards to become the second quarterback off the board after Jared Goff. He even made history as the highest-selected FCS quarterback ever, a distinction no one had seen since Joe Flacco in 2008. Wentz didn’t waste any time, becoming the Eagles’ starter right from the jump after Sam Bradford got traded in September 2016. In his NFL debut, he went off for 278 yards and two touchdowns, a solid start for a rookie. Despite throwing 14 interceptions, he managed a respectable 7-9 record for the Eagles in his first season and set a league record with 379 completions by a rookie.
But let’s be real, the absolute peak of Wentz’s career came in 2017. He was playing out of his mind, leading Philadelphia to an insane 11-2 record by Week 14 and pushing them right into the Super Bowl contender conversation. The man was in the MVP conversation, tearing it up with 1,362 yards, 10 touchdowns, and just three interceptions in the first five games alone! He was electric, a true star in the making.
The Week 14 Hit That Kicked Off The Wild Ride
Then Week 14 hit, against the Los Angeles Rams, and everything shifted. Wentz took a brutal hit to his legs and, despite staying in to throw another touchdown pass, he was later diagnosed with a torn ACL. Can you believe he broke the Eagles’ single-season franchise record for touchdown passes on a torn ACL? Absolute warrior mentality, but that injury was a gut punch. While he entered that game in the MVP conversation, he left with a long recovery ahead. His backup, Nick Foles, stepped in and led the Eagles on that storybook run to the Super Bowl. That moment, that hit, changed the trajectory of his career for good. From being an MVP-level talent, Wentz has since become one of the most well-traveled players in the NFL, bouncing between those six different teams in six seasons and finding himself in a backup role since 2022.
Wentz’s career trajectory is a stark reminder of how quickly fortunes can shift in the NFL. From the heights of MVP contention and Super Bowl aspirations to bouncing between six teams, his journey has been a whirlwind. What a wild ride for the former No. 2 overall pick, right?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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