Will Carson Wentz play in Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season?
On August 3, Carson Wentz underwent surgery that required a piece of a bone in his left foot to be removed. The initial timetable for the recovery was 5-12 weeks. Five weeks would mean he'd be ready just in time for week one against the Seattle Seahawks.
Carson Wentz was brought in after Phillip Rivers retired. Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich was Wentz's offensive coordinator in 2016 and 2017. He oversaw Wentz at his best, mainly when Wentz was an MVP candidate in 2017. For that magic to be rekindled again, Wentz needs to be healthy.
Will Carson Wentz play in Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season?
On Wednesday, news broke that Wentz had recovered in time for week one. The Colts will need him to play at his best if they want to dethrone the Tennessee Titans in the AFC South. They'll especially need him against the Seahawks in week one. Russell Wilson is among the elite quarterbacks in the NFL and the Colts could have to score a lot of points.
The Colts haven't changed their personnel much from last year's 10-6 team. Jonathan Taylor will be a focal point at running back which will take some pressure off of Wentz. Taylor averaged 5 yards per run and scored 11 touchdowns as a rookie. During Wentz's MVP season, his running backs averaged 4.5 yards per carry.
Carson Wentz will be protected by a top-five offensive line. The Colts' best player Quenton Nelson had the same injury and had surgery on the same day as Wentz. The Colts are hoping Nelson is healthy enough to play in week one.
Wentz will look to rebound from a forgettable 2020
Carson Wentz would like to forget that 2020 ever happened. Wentz suffered career lows in almost every major statistical category. He had 15 interceptions in just 13 games. He didn't attempt much downfield and threw for a career-low 2,620 yards. Worst of all, he was sacked an unbelievable 50 times.
Statistics aside, Wentz looked mentally shaken. He held onto the ball instead of throwing it away. He didn't recognize blitzes pre-snap and failed to change the protection. He took too long to think about every play. That's why Wentz is playing for the future of his career in 2021.
Despite his 2020 season, Carson Wentz can still turn his career around. In 2019, Wentz had his second-best season as a pro. He limited his turnovers and was intercepted only seven times. He had 27 passing touchdowns and 4,000 yards. The Eagles wouldn't have made it to the postseason that season without Wentz playing poised.
Carson Wentz has had ups and downs throughout his career. The Colts are hoping he can play at the level Phillip Rivers did last year or better. They have an elite defense led by Darius Leonard that can carry them. But they need adequate play from Wentz to make the playoffs in the deepest AFC in a long time.
They also need him to play well against the Seahawks in week one. We'll see how missing so much time in training camp affects Wentz and his chemistry with his wide receivers.