The Indianapolis Colts shipping Carson Wentz to Washington in a seismic trade leaves a hole at the QB position in Indy.
On the bright side, at least the Colts have experience searching for a new quarterback. Pro Bowl linebacker Darius Leonard noted on Twitter that following the Wentz trade, Indy would be on its fifth QB in his five seasons with the club.
"Here we go again!" Leonard wrote on Wednesday. "About to be 5 years with the Colts and 5 different QBs! Thank you Carson for everything this year my guy! Wish you nothing but the best!"
In 2018, Andrew Luck started 16 games under center. In 2019, after the QB's stunning retirement, it was Jacoby Brissett for 15 starts. In 2020, Philip Rivers (16 starts) moved in. And Wentz started all 17 games in 2021.
Per NFL Research, the Colts are the only team in NFL history to have a different QB start 15-plus games in four consecutive seasons. Depending on where Indy lands, it could make it five straight years.
Jimmy Garoppolo is already rumored to be an option in Indy, and the Colts have plenty of cap space to absorb his contract from San Francisco. However, it's debatable whether Jimmy G would be an on-field upgrade over Wentz in Indy, and with just one year left on his contract, that wouldn't likely be a long-term solution.
Chris Ballard is one of the most well-respected general managers in the NFL and has built a playoff-caliber roster with room for upgrades. But he's swung and missed repeatedly to find answers at the quarterback position. Trading Wentz on Wednesday was an admission that he got that one wrong, too. Where the Colts move from here in their latest attempt to find stability under center could define Ballard's tenure.
