Amazingly, we’re asking if Carson Wentz is playing in the final preseason game. Wentz is already back and practicing before the 5-12 week injury recovery time frame. His absence was good for one thing — it gave the Colts a clearer picture of their backup quarterback job, as Jacob Eason and Sam Ehlinger got first-team reps that would have gone to a healthy Wentz.
Is Carson Wentz playing tonight?
Unlike Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, who’s treating the final preseason game like the nuclear launch codes, Frank Reich is much more forthcoming in his answer to this question.
No, Wentz will not play Friday night against the Lions, and most of the other starters won’t either. Instead, Jacob Eason starts the final preseason game for the Colts. This gives the Colts another good, long look at both the backup quarterback options in game situations.
Wentz is expected to be ready for the regular season. It’s important to note that All-Pro left guard Quenton Nelson is also slated to return for the regular-season opener.
The scary side of starting Week 1
Wentz was horrendous in 2020. There’s no objective argument against it, even if you believe the situation surrounding him was a flaming dumpster. His footwork devolved to the point where his general accuracy left him. That is something he worked incredibly hard on during the offseason with 3DQB.
Wentz made some comments that both eased concern and raised some.
“You might not see me out here every single day, there might be some rest days here and there. But it’s just about feeling comfortable and continuing to kind of push it a little bit and let it heal at the same time.”
This is calming. This shows Wentz is willing to push to improve around the team and take a step back and rest when needed. Anybody who’s gotten to the NFL wants to compete. It isn’t easy to be open about having to rest a dinged-up body part.
“At the end of the day, as long as there’s nothing that I can do to injure myself and make it worse, I know I’ve played through a lot worse.”
That’s the concerning part. If that foot has not completely healed by Week 1, Wentz shouldn’t play. Wentz is a warrior, which isn’t always a good thing. When the regular season rolls around, it’s difficult to imagine him taking a step back from the starting role, even if he risks further injuring his foot (or any other part of his body, for that matter).