What to know about Carson Wentz (foot) and the Colts quarterback situation
The Colts are once again facing a mysterious leg injury involving their quarterback. Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus said there was no update on Wentz after Saturday's practice. Here is what you need to know about the situation:
Will Carson Wentz miss games in the regular season?
Colts coach Frank Reich announced Monday that Wentz would be out 5-12 weeks to have a piece of bone removed from his left foot. Five week would be a return on Sept. 6, the week of the season opener. Twelve weeks would have Wentz back on the field prior to the Oct. 31 game vs. Tennessee. The timeline, of course, is a general guide and Wentz's return could fall anywhere in that time period. Wentz suffered the injury July 29.
"The next couple of days were a discussion over well, we can live it in there, try to manage it and see how it holds up over the course of the year and take our chances, but we wanted the most predictable outcome," Reich said. "Let's get the piece out of there, begin the rehab process and plan for the long haul."
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Who is Brett Hundley?
The Colts signed Hundley on Saturday. He started nine games for Green Bay in 2017, going 3-6. He's completed 59.1% of his passes for 1,902 yards with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his career, having also played for Arizona in 2019. Hundley was a two-way threat for three seasons at UCLA, completing 69.1% of his passes for 3,155 yards with 22 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, and ran for 644 yards and 10 TDs on 159 carries, in his final season in 2014.
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He also once threw a football into the window of a moving pace car prior to an IndyCar race at Road America in Wisconsin.
What does the signing of Brett Hundley mean?
Theories were rampant on Twitter, of course. Wentz is out for the season. The Colts don't trust backup Jacob Eason.
Those two options could be true but if Wentz is missing any amount of time in training camp — and he's already sat out two days with no timetable for a return — it's only prudent to sign a veteran quarterback. None of the other Colts quarterbacks -- Eason, a fourth-round pick in 2020; Sam Ehlinger, a sixth-round pick in 2021; and Jalen Morton, an undrafted free agent -- have thrown as much as a preseason game pass in the NFL. Eason has had an uneven start to training camp and Hundley said Saturday that he knew he'd be signing with the Colts prior to Wentz's injury.
Since 2000, 5 of the 25 quarterbacks drafted in the fourth-round have started more than 25 games: Kirk Cousins, Aaron Brooks, David Garrard, Dak Prescott and Kyle Orton. So there's a 20% chance Eason is a viable NFL starting quarterback. However, that means there's an 80% chance he's not, with nine of those 25 quarterbacks (36%) starting zero games and seven others starting fewer than nine.
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How did Carson Wentz get hurt?
Wentz injured the foot late in the Colts' Thursday practice. The quarterback dropped back under pressure, particularly from defensive tackle Andrew Brown, and eventually rolled out to finish the play.
The quarterback moved gingerly on the way back to the huddle, and Wentz was held out of the final period of the practice, watching from behind the line of scrimmage as Jacob Eason worked with the Colts' starters.
"He got hurt during a team period when he was rolling out," Colts offensive coordinator Marcus Brady said. "Planted to go throw and felt a little twinge in his foot."
Reich said Monday that doctors believe it's an old injury, perhaps dating back to high school, that Wentz wasn't aware of at the time and the years of wear and tear caused him to aggravate it Thursday.
Why are Eagles fans still upset about Carson Wentz?
Wentz, of course, left Philadelphia controversially this offseason in a trade to the Colts. The compensation for Wentz, however, relies on how much he plays for the Colts. If he plays 75% of the snaps -- or 70% and the Colts make the playoffs -- the Eagles get a 2022 first-round draft pick. If Wentz plays less, it's a second-round pick.
If Wentz misses four or more games, he may not hit the threshold for the first-round pick.
Contact IndyStar Deputy Sports Editor Nat Newell at (317) 444-6182 or nat.newell@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NatJNewell.