The Indianapolis Colts are one of the many teams that could be in the market for a new quarterback this offseason. Unfortunately for the Colts, this predicament isn’t anything new for them. Since Andrew Luck announced his retirement unexpectedly following the 2018 season, the Colts have had a different starting quarterback every year.
Jacoby Brissett took over in 2019, followed by Philip Rivers in 2020. This past season, it was Carson Wentz who was pegged as the starter and there was some hope he would be able to hold the position down for a few years. Alas, that doesn’t look like it will happen, as Wentz could be one and done again.
Wentz was not great in 2021, but his performance in Week 18 could very well have been the last straw. Needing to just defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars to earn a playoff berth, Wentz and the Colts fell flat on their face, losing 26-11 in embarrassing fashion.
Wentz’s performance was awful, as he didn’t step up when the team needed him most throughout the season. As a result, the Colts could once again be in the market for a starting quarterback.
Who could they target this offseason? One player to keep an eye on could be Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft has shown some flashes the first four seasons of his career but has not lived up to the lofty expectations of being a No. 1 overall pick.
If Cleveland looks to move on from Mayfield, The Indianapolis Star believes the Colts could be one of the potential landing spots.
“Baker Mayfield could be available in trade from Cleveland, and history suggests the Browns might actually be dumb enough to take Carson Wentz as part of the deal.”
Wentz is someone that the Browns did pass up on in the 2016 NFL Draft. Cleveland worked out a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles involving the No. 2 overall pick, which was used to select Wentz out of North Dakota State. Could they look to re-write history and bring Wentz back in years later?
If the Browns were willing to take Wentz as part of a deal for Mayfield, it would be a no-brainer for the Colts to make that deal. Mayfield has some limitations of his own, but being three years younger than Wentz and having shown some real signs of improvement in 2020 before an injury derailed his 2021, it may be a worthwhile gamble for Indianapolis to take.
