Carson Wentz did a quick about-face and will undergo surgery to repair his injured foot.
Indianapolis Colts coach Frank Reich said Monday that the quarterback would have surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot today.
The initial timeframe for recovery is a wide window between 5-12 weeks, per Reich. The massive range which could have him back by the start of the regular season or out until late October underscores the uncertainty in rehab.
"The 5-12 week spectrum is real. We don't know," the coach said.
Reich noted that Wentz had an old foot injury dating back to perhaps high school, according to doctors, and over time the broken bone came loose, causing pain. The surgery will remove the bone.
Wentz was expected to undergo surgery on Monday, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported.
The decision to undergo surgery came a day after the Colts QB planned to try rest and rehab instead of a procedure. Less than 24 hours later, Wentz reversed course. The quarterback suffered the injury Thursday last week and met with foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson to determine the course of action.
The Colts traded a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 conditional 2nd-round pick to Philadelphia in exchange for Wentz this offseason. The conditions of the 2022 selection becoming a first-rounder entail Wentz playing 75 percent of the Colts snaps in 2021 or playing 70 percent of the snaps and Indy making the playoffs. If he's out the full 12 weeks, that would put a first-round pick being sent the Eagles' way in jeopardy.
Indianapolis put a load of faith in Wentz returning to form under Reich after a disastrous 2020 campaign. That faith has already hit a roadblock. The 28-year-old has missed 13 games in his career due to injury, including playoffs, and could add to that total in 2021.
The Colts don't have an obvious insurance plan on the roster. Jacob Eason, a 2020 fourth-rounder, has taken the bulk of the reps in practices Wentz missed since suffering the injury. Indy also has Sam Ehlinger, Jalen Morton, and Brett Hundley, who signed over the weekend, on the roster. It would be a rough start to the season if Indy had to count on any of the backups to play significant time. Each of the Colts' first five opponents in 2021 won 10-plus games in 2020 -- the .675 combined opponent win percent in the first five games is tops in the NFL.
General manager Chris Ballard could look to the trade market to bring in another veteran quarterback to help bridge the gap while Wentz rehabs from surgery. Bears backup quarterback Nick Foles, who played with Wentz and Reich in Philly, and Jags QB Gardner Minshew are two options the Colts could consider trading for in the coming weeks.