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At the peak of his football talents, Carson Wentz was one of the NFL’s few star quarterbacks.<\/p>\n
It may be easy to forget that Wentz, a North Dakota State alum, was once considered an up-and-coming passer with elite arm talent; in every year following 2022, he was officially listed as a backup. It’s been a fairly up-and-down career for the former No. 2 overall pick.<\/p>\n
From his role in guiding the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles<\/a> to an 11-2 record prior to his injury and the team’s Super Bowl run, to Wentz playing for six different teams in the span of six seasons, he became one of the most experienced and well-traveled players in the league.<\/p>\n Here’s a full breakdown of Wentz’s career, including a look back at all six of his stints with NFL teams, his career numbers and more.<\/p>\n MORE: Ranking the best Eagles players of all-time<\/a><\/p>\n Carson Wentz teams timelinePhiladelphia Eagles (2016-2020)<\/p>\n Coming off his five years at North Dakota State, where he led the Bison to two FCS national titles as the starter and won three more as a backup,\u00a0 Wentz was selected with the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Eagles.<\/p>\n Carson Wentz is Philly-bound!<\/p>\n The Eagles make the NDSU quarterback the No. 2 pick in the draft. pic.twitter.com\/fRP52ePddN<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ESPN (@espn) April 29, 2016<\/a><\/p>\n Initially, Wentz was viewed by analysts as a potential mid-first rounder, but he excelled in the draft process enough to become the second QB off the board following Jared Goff. Philadelphia traded up with the Cleveland Browns<\/a> to land Wentz.<\/p>\n He also became the highest-selected FCS quarterback taken in draft history, and the first since Joe Flacco in 2008. Wentz wound up being the Eagles’ starter from the jump after the team traded Sam Bradford in September 2016.<\/p>\n In his NFL debut, Wentz threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns. He wound up having a solid rookie season despite his 14 interceptions, as Philadelphia went 7-9 while he threw for a league-record 379 completions by a rookie.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0Jason Peters sounds off on Eagles-Cowboys rivalry<\/a><\/p>\n However, the best football of Wentz’s life likely came in 2017. By the time Week 14 of that season came around, he had led Philadelphia to an 11-2 record as the Eagles became a Super Bowl contender, racking up 1,362 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions in the first five games alone.\u00a0<\/p>\n Frank Reich had @cj_wentz<\/a> playing at an MVP level in 2017. pic.twitter.com\/J12laV69Xt<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NFL (@NFL) February 19, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n Wentz’s career changed in that Week 14 game against the Los Angeles Rams<\/a>, though. He took a big hit to his legs and was later diagnosed with a torn ACL, despite remaining in to throw another touchdown pass.<\/p>\n Reminder: Carson Wentz broke the Eagles single-season franchise record for TD passes on a torn ACL. pic.twitter.com\/1jiXkojnur<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Brenden Deeg (@BrendenDeeg_) February 19, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n While he entered that game in the MVP conversation, Wentz left with a long recovery ahead of him as Nick Foles stepped in for a storybook run as the Eagles’ backup quarterback.<\/p>\n Foles proceeded to lead the Eagles to a 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots<\/a> in Super Bowl LII, creating for one of the strangest quarterback situations in league history the following year: Wentz was the established starter, but Foles was the reigning Super Bowl MVP.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0Eagles legends Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson make epic debut at WWE’s WrestleMania<\/p>\n Between his injury recovery and the Foles situation, Wentz was never quite the same superstar he was tracking to become. There were later constant rumors about Wentz’s potential disdain for the team succeeding without him, with The Philadelphia Inquirer reporting<\/a> that Wentz “voiced his displeasure with the Eagles\u2019 success to a group of other injured players,” leading to a confrontation.<\/p>\n Either way, Wentz did take back his starting job in 2018 upon recovering from his injury. Foles started in Weeks 1 and 2 as Wentz recovered, but the Super Bowl MVP went to the bench in Week 3.<\/p>\n But with Wentz starting, there were some clear issues despite him totaling\u00a021 touchdowns vs. seven interceptions. The Eagles went 5-6 with Wentz, and as the regular season winded down, the team shut him down again as he dealt with a back injury.<\/p>\n Again, Foles stepped in and went 3-0 to finish the 2018 regular season, sending Philadelphia to the playoffs at 9-7 before a loss to the New Orleans Saints<\/a> in the divisional round. While some teammates publicly backed the quarterback, reports continued suggesting a fractured relationship between Wentz and the rest of the locker room.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0Brian Dawkins explains why Philly sports fans are so intense<\/a><\/p>\n On June 6, 2019, the Eagles extended Wentz on a four year,\u00a0$128 million contract with $107 million guaranteed, solidifying his status as the team’s starter. Individually, Wentz had a strong 2019 season, with\u00a04,039 passing yards and 27 touchdowns. He also became\u00a0he first quarterback in NFL history to pass for at least 4,000 yards with no receiver catching at least 500 yards.<\/p>\n As a reminder…<\/p>\n In 2019, Carson Wentz became the first QB in NFL history to throw for 4,000+ yards in a season without a 500+ yard WR.<\/p>\n (via @NFL<\/a>)pic.twitter.com\/ogdeVmQEzx<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NFL on CBS \ud83c\udfc8 (@NFLonCBS) July 7, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n But still, the Eagles hung around .500 before a wild card exit against the Seattle Seahawks<\/a> in which Philadelphia’s QB1 left with an injury.<\/p>\n Wentz’s final season in Philly was 2020. It was the Eagles’ worst season (4-11-1) since 2012, and the offseason prior, the team had drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round, which created for further Wentz-based quarterback drama just two years after Foles left.<\/p>\n As the team struggled in 2020, including Wentz, he was benched for the younger Hurts by Week 13, which held for the remainder of the season. Wentz led the league in interceptions at the time he was benched; Hurts wasn’t yet what he would become, but did flash the talent that made him Wentz’s successor in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0Who is on the Mount Rushmore of Philadelphia sports?<\/p>\n Indianapolis Colts (2021)<\/p>\n On March 17, 2021, the Eagles traded Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts<\/a>\u00a0in exchange for a\u00a02021\u00a0third-round pick and a\u00a02022\u00a0first-round pick, draft compensation they later used to eventually land wide receivers Devonta Smith and A.J. Brown.<\/p>\n Wentz was back with his former offensive coordinator, Frank Reich, who was the Colts’ head coach at the time. As Indianapolis was looking for its successor to Andrew Luck, who had retired a few years earlier, it hoped Wentz was the answer after he fell out of favor in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n However, once again, Wentz put up strong individual numbers on a team that failed to live up to expectations. The Colts went 9-8, missing the playoffs, as Wentz threw for\u00a03,563 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions.<\/p>\n INCREDIBLE THROW.@cj_wentz<\/a> puts the @Colts<\/a> up 22-13! #ForTheShoe<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udcfa: #INDvsAZ<\/a> on @NFLNetwork<\/a> \u2014 NFL (@NFL) December 26, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n Despite giving up significant draft picks to land him, the Colts ended their Wentz experiment after just one season.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0Most Super Bowl wins in history by player<\/a><\/p>\n Washington Commanders (2022)<\/p>\n Wentz was traded for the second time in two years on March 16, 2022. Indianapolis sent Wentz, a second-round pick and a seventh-round pick to the Washington Commanders<\/a> in exchange for\u00a02022 second- and third round picks, plus a conditional 2023 third-round pick.<\/p>\n In Washington, Wentz stepped in as the Week 1 starter but returned back to his below-average form. In October 2022, he was placed on IR with a fractured ring finger, and when he was activated again in December, Taylor Heinicke remained QB1.<\/p>\n Head coach Ron Rivera did reinstate Wentz as the starter in Week 17 when the team needed to win for playoff contention, but they lost 24-10 to the Cleveland Browns.<\/p>\n In February 2023, the Commanders released Wentz to free agency.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0How does NFL MVP voting work?<\/a><\/p>\n Los Angeles Rams (2023)<\/p>\n Wentz’s time as a backup began in 2023, when he signed with the Los Angeles Rams as insurance to Matthew Stafford. It was mostly a quiet one-year stint for Wentz, outside of a Week 18 start due to the team already securing a playoff spot.<\/p>\n In that game, Wentz threw for 176 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, also rushing for a score in a 21-20 win.<\/p>\n Elsewhere in Week 18 \u2026 we have a Carson Wentz touchdown pass. pic.twitter.com\/iN1IMEBkwG<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 7, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0Revisiting Jason Kelce’s epic speech and outfit from 2018 Super Bowl parade<\/a><\/p>\n Kansas City Chiefs (2024)<\/p>\n Wentz’s fifth team in five seasons became the Kansas City Chiefs<\/a>, where he went in 2024 to once again be a backup to a star quarterback in Patrick Mahomes.\u00a0<\/p>\n Wentz wasn’t needed for most of the season, but did sub in for an injured Mahomes in Week 15, then again started in Week 18 when Kansas City had already locked in the No. 1 seed. The Chiefs were shut out 38-0 in that game.<\/p>\n Kansas City made it to Super Bowl LIX behind Mahomes, facing off against Wentz’s former Eagles squad led by Hurts, but the Chiefs fell 40-22.<\/p>\n MORE: DeAndre Hopkins’ career timeline, from Texans to Ravens<\/a><\/p>\n Minnesota Vikings (2025)<\/p>\n After remaining a free agent deep into the summer, Wentz signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings<\/a> on Aug. 24, 2025. He became the backup to a young quarterback this time around, with J.J. McCarthy holding the starting role.<\/p>\n However, McCarthy began dealing with an injury by Week 3, allowing Wentz to step in as the Vikings’ starter just weeks after signing.<\/p>\n MORE: Why did Kirk Cousins leave the Vikings in free agency?<\/a><\/p>\n Carson Wentz career stats\u00a0<\/p>\n Here’s a full breakdown of Wentz’s career stats in the NFL.<\/p>\n SeasonTeamGamesWentz’s RecordCompletions-AttemptsCompletion PercentagePassing YardsAVGPassing TDsINTsRatingRushing YardsRushing TDs2016Eagles167-9379-60762.4%3,7826.2161479.315022017Eagles1311-2265-44060.2%3,2967.5337101.929902018Eagles115-6279-40169.6%3,0747.7217102.29302019Eagles169-7388-60763.9%4,0396.727793.124312020Eagles123-8-1251-43757.4%2,6206.0161572.827652021Colts179-8322-51662.4%3,5636.927794.621512022Commanders82-5172-27662.3%1,7556.411980.28612023Rams21-017-2470.8%1636.82199.85612024Chiefs30-112-1963.2%1186.20080.600CAREER:\u00a09847-46-12,085-3,32762.7%22,4106.71536789.31,41811<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0Where is J.J. McCarthy from?<\/a><\/p>\n Carson Wentz awards and accoladesSuper Bowl LII champion (2017)Second-Team All-Pro\u00a0(2017)1x Pro Bowl (2017)Bert Bell Award\u00a0(2017)<\/p>\n All of Wentz’s official awards and accolades in the NFL came in the 2017 season, as he was one of the league’s best quarterbacks before his ACL injury.<\/p>\n In college, Wentz also won five FCS titles, although it was two of them that came as a starter.<\/p>\n MORE:\u00a0Meet J.J. McCarthy’s family tree<\/a><\/p>\n Carson Wentz highlights<\/p>\n Most of Wentz’s best career plays came in green and white, dazzling as a young quarterback for the Eagles. He specifically had a knack for escaping from pressure with miraculous moves.<\/p>\n Here are some of Wentz’s best plays as an Eagle:<\/p>\n Philly \u27a1\u27a1\u27a1 Indy<\/p>\n Some of Carson Wentz’s best career plays… so far. pic.twitter.com\/hzhyEz2KSS<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NFL (@NFL) February 18, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n
\ud83d\udcf1: https:\/\/t.co\/WOTaxHv8uR<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/kmDbfvswoc<\/a><\/p>\n