The Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to trade quarterback Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts for a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 conditional second-round pick that could become a first-round pick, NFL sources told ESPN.
The Eagles will receive the 85th overall pick in this year’s draft, and the conditional second round could become a first-round pick based on Wentz’s playing time, according to sources.
Wentz must play at least 75% of the Colts’ offensive actions, according to sources, to carry over the 2022 conditional pick to a first round.
The pick can also become a first round if Wentz plays at least 70% of the plays and the Colts make the playoffs. But the worst that the 2022 pick could be is a second round, meaning the Eagles will definitely get two picks of value for Wentz.
The Eagles and Colts have spent much of the past two weeks trying to complete the deal, which won’t be officially processed until the new NFL year begins on March 17.
The Eagles will receive unlimited income of $ 33.8 million, the highest any team has ever received from a player, while the Colts will take over the balance of Wentz’s $ 128 million extension, including the $ 10 million guaranteed bonus that came out at 19 March can be paid out.
Each team closes the deal with what they wanted on all fronts: Wentz meets Colts head coach Frank Reich, their former Philadelphia attack coordinator, and helps fill the void left by Philip Rivers’ retirement, while the Eagles likely will times. to Jalen Hurts, although they also plan to fight for him. The Eagles runway does not automatically go to Hurts.
Trading Wentz marks the end of an unexpected chapter and year with the Eagles. Wentz went from a former MVP candidate to Hurts, a rookie selected in the second round in 2020, as his relationship with former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson fell apart.
Wentz wanted to leave Philadelphia, even though the Eagles hired former Colts’ attack coordinator Nick Sirianni as their new head coach.
Thursday’s successful trade also continues an already tumultuous low season for quarterbacks.
Less than three weeks after the Rams traded Jared Goff, who was first overall pick in the 2016 draft, to the Lions for fellow quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Eagles have now traded second overall pick in the same draft against the Colts.
The Eagles signed Wentz in June 2019 for a four-year, $ 128 million extension, confirming their belief that he was the long-term answer as a quarterback.
But the relationship soured during a tough 2020 season, in which Wentz finished 34th in the NFL in percentage of completions (57.4%) and first in interceptions (15) and sacks (50), despite going to the bench for Hurts in the Philadelphia’s last four was sent off. spell.
28-year-old Wentz appeared on his way to stardom in Philadelphia after throwing 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in 2017, while delivering a heavy load for the MVP before tearing several ligaments in his knee in December. He suffered a stress fracture in his back the following season, but managed to throw 48 touchdowns to 14 interceptions over the next two years.
But the gap between Wentz and Pederson widened; A source told ESPN’s Tim McManus that Pederson took much of Wentz’s control over the violation as injuries and losses increased in 2020, and Wentz’s faith in Pederson’s system was lost.
Pederson was fired last month after a 4-11-1 season after he and owner Jeffrey Lurie disagreed on a common vision for the future. But the hiring of Sirianni didn’t change the view that Wentz wanted to move out of Philadelphia, a sign that there were trust issues beyond Pederson.
The Eagles traded twice in the draft to select Wentz from the state of North Dakota, and Wentz confirmed that decision early on. He holds the franchise record for a season in completions (388), completion rate (69.6), passing yards (4,039) and TD by passes (33).
Wentz is also one of only six quarterbacks in NFL history to record more than 20 touchdowns and 10 or fewer interceptions in three consecutive seasons, along with Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson. He was named a First Team All Pro and made his only Pro Bowl appearance in 2017.
ESPN’s Tim McManus contributed to this report.