- Indianapolis Colts’ starting quarterback Carson Wentz will have foot surgery to repair a loose bone in his left foot.
- The quarterback had hoped to try the rest and rehab route before opting for surgery but that proved to be untenable.
- The Colts have very little experience among the four backup quarterbacks on the roster.
The Indianapolis Colts got some bad news on Monday and while it didn’t represent ‘worst case scenario’ it isn’t good. Starting quarterback Carson Wentz will undergo surgery on Monday to repair a loose bone in his left foot. Dr. David Porter, an orthopedic foot specialist, will perform the surgery in Indianapolis. The team indicated that Wentz will be sidelined between 5 and 12 weeks. That’s a very imprecise timeframe but according to head coach Frank Reich that is because players recover at different rates. The first couple of weeks after surgery will be primarily rest and the team will have a better idea of what to expect after that.
Coach Reich said that he was optimistic of Wentz’s quick return:
“Knowing Carson, I’m optimistic. Knowing this is the type of injury you don’t have to be pain-free to play in. You have to get to an acceptable level of tolerating pain and then you can start playing. That could happen early.”
The loose bone in Wentz’s foot definitely qualifies as a ‘freak injury’. In last Thursday’s practice, Wentz said that he felt a ‘twinge’ in his left foot as he rolled out and planted to throw. After examination it was determined that he had aggravated a very old injury–possibly from high school–and multiple doctors were consulted to determine the best course of action. Wentz initially had hoped to try ‘rest and rehab’ in an effort to avoid surgery and keep open the possibility of starting the Colts’ Week 1 game against the Seattle Seahawks. The medical professionals consulted by the team all suggested that surgery was the best option. The lose bone out of the fifth metatarsal will be removed which will prevent a recurrence of the injury.
Now that Wentz has a game plan for dealing with his foot injury, the Colts have to come up with a strategy for dealing with his absence. Obviously, they don’t have all of the information they need–and won’t until a better estimate of Wentz’s rehab timeframe is available. For the time being, they’ll continue preparing for the season with the four quarterbacks they have in camp. The problem is that only one–recently acquired Brett Hundley–has any NFL game experience whatsoever. Jacob Eason, a fourth round draft pick in 2020, is getting the first team reps in practice and will be the regular season starter if Wentz can’t play. Reich was unequivocal about that fact:
“The job is Jacob’s right now. He has to prove it, he knows that. Jacob’s in the driver’s seat.”
Also on the Colts’ depth chart at quarterback: former University of Texas QB Sam Ehlinger, Jalen Morton and recently acquired Brett Hundley. Hundley is the only one with any in-game experience as a NFL quarterback and even he doesn’t have a lot with 18 appearances and 9 starts. Morton is something of a ‘project’, a raw talent with a Howitzer for an arm. Ehlinger is a rookie with all of the typical rookie liabilities. If the Wentz injury will keep him out of multiple regular season games the team could try to bring in a more experienced option. Nick Foles–currently the third string QB in Chicago–has been mentioned due to his previous relationship with both Reich and Wentz but at this stage any scenario is mere conjecture.
