The Kansas City Chiefs signed Carson Wentz to be Patrick Mahomes’ backup earlier this week, and during his introductory press conference on Thursday, Wentz explained why he joined the Chiefs.
“Big intrigue to wanting to come here and why I am here today is the winning culture,” Wentz said, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “Seeing it from afar, seeing it from around the league for the last couple of years, just the culture that coach [Andy] Reid has set, you see it. I’ve admired it for years. That was a big piece of the puzzle for me and the desire to be here on a winning team, in a good culture, in a good community, with a good fan base. Just seemed like a good fit.”
Wentz spent the 2023 campaign with the Los Angeles Rams, playing in two games with one start while backing up Matthew Stafford. He went 17-for-24 with 163 yards, a couple of touchdowns and an interception.
Of course, there was a time when Wentz was anything but a reserve.
The 31-year-old, who played his collegiate football at North Dakota State, was originally selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft.
After a so-so rookie season, Wentz broke out in 2017 and appeared to be on track to post an MVP-caliber season. Through 13 games, he had thrown for 3,296 yards, 33 touchdowns and seven picks while completing 60.2 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 101.9.
However, Wentz ended up tearing his ACL late in the year, giving way to backup Nick Foles, who ultimately led the Eagles to a Super Bowl title.
Wentz would remain in Philadelphia through 2020, but he never came close to matching his 2017 production.
He has bounced around the league ever since, playing for the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders before landing with the Rams last year.
At this point of his career, Carson Wentz will almost certainly remain a backup wherever he goes, but at least he is a reliable one.
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