Commanders could face major setback with Carson Wentz finger injury

After the Washington Commanders defeated the Chicago Bears on Thursday, it seems Carson Wentz could be sidelined with a fractured finger injury.

The Commanders were on a roll Thursday night, largely thanks to an offensive boost courtesy of Brian Robinson Jr. 

The recent return of Robinson, who was the only Commander to score a touchdown on the disappointing night, offered a bright spot on a struggling 2-4 team. There’s been much ado about quarterback Carson Wentz, who, like Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan, is seeking a rebrand with a new franchise all his own. So far, the Wentz Experiment isn’t what anyone hoped it would be — the Commanders rank No. 4 in a surprisingly successful NFC East — even though he ranked within the Top 5 in passing yards through the first five weeks of the season.

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera has recently come under fire for his comments on Wentz’ performance so far, saying that his team lacks at “quarterback” more than divisional opponents.

Even though many have lamented about the inadequacies of Wentz, the Commanders shared troubling news that takes their offense from bad to worse. Just as the Commanders bring back Robinson, it seems they may lose Wentz due to a fractured finger from their TNF win.

Carson Wentz injury could be opportunity for Commanders to start Sam Howell

As NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport pointed out, Wentz deserves credit for battling through the injury during the game, grimacing as he adjusted his gloves and examined his fractured ring finger.

It’s also poor timing considering the fact that Rivera stormed out of a press conference after he felt his comments about Wentz’ development in Washington was misconstrued. Rivera reiterated that he did support his quarterback, cursing at the podium before abruptly leaving the press conference.

Now, Wentz is headed to Los Angeles to have his finger injury evaluated by a specialist, while the Commanders may have an ill-timed quarterback crisis on their hands. Taylor Heinicke could take over the Commanders the way he did in 2020 and 2021, or rookie Sam Howell could battle for the starting role.

Even before the injury, NFL analysts expressed interest in seeing more of Howell the way the Pittsburgh Steelers finally trotted out Kenny Pickett to replace Mitch Trubisky.

The Carson Wentz injury could be bad news for the Commanders, or it could be the beginning of the Sam Howell era in D.C. However it works out for the team, it certainly won’t help the career of Wentz, a journeyman quarterback who may be at his final stop.