Follow the Leader?
Follow the Leader?
(Feb. 26, 2022)
The dust has settled after Carson Wentz’s first season under center in Indy. It appears the Colts will cut ties with the QB after just one season that yielded mixed results to say the least. However, it appears that the main reason the Colts Organization is eager to move on from Wentz stems more from his lack of leadership qualities than his play on the field, which makes sense.
To be clear, when it comes to the leadership of Carson Wentz, I truly believe the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I don’t think the guys a “bad leader”, as some have dubbed him in the media. I also don’t think he’s a particularly great leader either. I’ve followed the NFL long enough to know that where’s there’s smoke; there’s usually fire.
Two things have been constant in Carson’s tenure with both the Colts & Eagles.
1. Reports from both local & national media highlighting the team’s issues with Carson’s leadership.
2. Teammates publicly refuting these reports and defending Carson.
This tells me that Wentz at the very least, has some positive leadership qualities as an NFL quarterback. He’s not an a-hole, or horrible leader, otherwise his teammates wouldn’t hesitate to throw him under the bus at any given opportunity when it presents itself.
Indianapolis and Philadelphia are blue-collar cities that love & are passionate about their sports teams. It’s very concerning to hear similar reports questioning the leadership of Carson Wentz from both Indianapolis & Philadelphia sports media. The one trait the best NFL starting quarterbacks and backups have is great leadership. Having great leadership is why a quarterback stays in the league over a decade despite his best playing days being behind him. It separates the good quarterbacks from the Hall of Famers.
If Carson Wentz actually gives a damn about the negative perception that’s precedes him throughout his entire NFL career, he better take a good look at himself in the mirror this offseason and at the very least, make some adjustments to his leadership qualities.
Carson Wentz is a physically gifted quarterback no doubt; but in the NFL, physical talent fades overtime… great leadership lasts a lifetime.
During the 2021 NFL season, the Colts went 9-8 & missed the playoffs, losing the final two games of the regular season despite having a “win-and-in” scenario for both games. It’s no secret the team (including Wentz) played poorly in these final two games and you can’t blame the losses entirely on Carson. Unfortunately, for Carson Wentz, he was acquired to be a difference maker, not a bystander or game manager.