Carson Wentz has been through quite a rollercoaster of a career since entering the NFL in 2016. After going second overall to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2016 NFL Draft, Wentz was on the cusp of winning an MVP award in 2017 before suffering an injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the season and paved the way for Nick Foles to lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory a few months later.
Wentz was never the same player after that injury and he's spent the last five seasons with five different teams. His final season with the Eagles came in 2020 and he was then traded to the Colts for the 2021 season. After Wentz and the Colts missed the playoffs, he was dealt to Washington.
Wentz spent the first half of the 2023 season out of football before the Rams brought him in as a backup, signaling a new chapter for Wentz as he'd be going from starter to backup. He continued with his backup journey by inking a one-year deal with the Chiefs last offseason to back up Patrick Mahomes and hopefully add another Super Bowl ring to his collection.
Now a free agent again, let's take a look at Carson Wentz's profile on the open market.
Kansas City Chiefs free agent profile: Carson Wentz, quarterback
What were the Chiefs expecting from Carson Wentz in 2024?
Since Patrick Mahomes has been the starting quarterback for the Chiefs, his backups have consisted of Chad Henne, Matt Moore, and Blaine Gabbert. After the Chiefs opted not to re-sign Gabbert following the 2023 season, Wentz was signed, and many at the time felt like he was the best backup that Mahomes ever had sitting behind him on the bench.
Wentz, at his best, was an MVP candidate who had fallen off in recent years but still had the potential to be a good fill-in option if Mahomes were to go down and have to miss time. Fans felt pretty good about Wentz stepping in and leading the charge for a few games if the worst happened and Mahomes was unavailable.
How did the 2024 season turn out for Carson Wentz?
The good news is that we didn't see much of Wentz during his inaugural Chiefs season because Mahomes was able to play in every game necessary. Wentz got the start in a meaningless Week 18 game against the Broncos and didn't play particularly well, but he also had backups and third-stringers at his disposal so it might not be a fair game to criticize.
Will Carson Wentz re-sign with the Chiefs in 2025?
Considering Wentz didn't do much during his one year with the Chiefs, it's hard to say what his market will look like and if he'll be brought back for a second stint in Kansas City. One would have to think that if he's open to re-signing, it'd be easier to bring back someone familiar with the playbook and coaching staff than to sign another backup and rely on them to get up to speed on everything.
To sum up, if Wentz is open to remaining a backup to one of the best quarterbacks in the league and getting a shot at winning a second Super Bowl ring, the Chiefs shouldn't hesitate to re-sign him. If he's able to somehow earn a starting job elsewhere or wants to be a backup somewhere else, however, it wouldn't be a shocking development if he left and joined his sixth team in six years.
Free agent prediction for Carson Wentz
It makes sense for the Chiefs to remain interested in Wentz, who is still younger (32) than many years of Mahomes' backups. Consistency could be key here, so a slight raise and a new one-year deal could make sense for both.
Prediction: Re-sign a 1-year deal worth up to $3.75M with Chiefs