Anonymous NFL GM says he’d trade for Carson Wentz despite the gross contract
By Josh Hill
Despite his gnarly contract situation, it appears at least one NFL general manager would consider making a trade for Carson Wentz.
While Jalen Hurts trotted off the field victorious in his first NFL start, there was an undeniable cloud of doubt hanging over everything.
Specifically, a $128 million cloud. That’s how much the Philadelphia Eagles paid Carson Wentz to not be the quarterback running off the field victorious over the Saints but rather the one sitting on the bench watching it all happen.
Who the Eagles starting quarterback of the future will be is a question far from being answered. Hurts looked great in his first start, beating up one of the NFL’s best defenses. But he’s played one game professionally and looking good and being good is how the Eagles got into this mess with Wentz in the first place.
The more pressing question within the question of who the Eagles quarterback will be is what will happen to Wentz? His massive contract complicates any dream scenario where Hurts is indeed the right quarterback because his backup would be burning a hole through the front office books for the next four years. Releasing or trading this offseason Wentz is somehow just as expensive as keeping him, and no team would likely want to take on his contract willingly.
Or so we thought.
According to Peter King, one anonymous general manager he spoke to said trading for Wentz is something he’d consider despite the contractual complications.
NFL Trade Rumors: GM ‘interested’ in Carson Wentz deal
Per Peter King’s FMIA:
"He said: “What’s happened with him concerns me. But I’ve seen him play well too many times to think there’s some fatal flaw there. I don’t think the Eagles will move him. I wouldn’t if I were them.” It’s tampering for a GM to say, “I’m interested.” But I can sense there will be some interest if the Eagles decide to trade him, questionable contract and all."
As we’ve seen recently, the power of anonymity is exactly that — power. You don’t have to answer for whatever absurd thing you say and can just watch the world react. Smokescreens in professional front offices are a time-tested method of getting a real read on the room. Who’s to say this general manager wasn’t tossing that line out there to see if anyone panicked and took a bite?
Then again, Wentz’s career in the NFL is far from over. Even if his time in Philly is done, someone will take a chance on trying to revive his career. The Chicago Bears need an upgrade from Mitchell Trubisky, Bill Belichick fixing Wentz would be a masterful final act to his career, and teams like the Jaguars or Lions would allow him to be silently terrible while our attention is elsewhere.
We might have seen the last of Wentz in Philly but we’ve hardly seen the last of him in the NFL.