The last two weeks of the NFL season have turned the off-season 2021 quarterback carousel on its head. In Philadelphia, the idea that the Eagles could switch from Carson Wentz to rookie Jalen Hurts has turned from something you’d say to Eagles fans into something you’d say to excite Eagles fans.
Several train stops north, the Jets managed to break the hearts of their own fans by upsetting the Rams on Sunday and losing the grip on No. 1 in the 2021 draft. It seemed a foregone conclusion that the Jets would get rid of Sam Darnold and line up Trevor Lawrence, but now that it seems like the Clemson star quartback is probably going to the Jaguars with the best pick, the Jets have all the options on the table.
Let’s evaluate three key decision points for this low season and figure out what could happen next, with the predicted dominoes that could fall. I will use the projected draft assignment from the ESPN Football Power Index as the expected draft assignment at the end of the season.
Each of these three scenarios is independent of each other, and I will try to make sense of each team’s logic as to why these moves could make sense. I’m using Spotrac’s estimates for the cap space for 2021, which will inform the decisions each team makes. Let’s start with a scenario we couldn’t possibly have considered before this season started:
Jump to a scenario:
The Eagles trade Carson Wentz
The Jets love Sam Darnold
The Cowboys tag, trade Dak Prescott
As we’ve discussed in recent weeks, there is one team most likely to be the destination if the Eagles decide they want to move on from their former franchise quarterback …
The Eagles trade Wentz for the Colts for a third-round pick and a 2022 conditional selection.
The Colts are the best candidate for Wentz. Eagles fans won’t be thrilled with the price tag, but the organization has virtually no control over the closing of this deal and cannot afford to accept an expensive replacement. The addition that makes this deal work is that conditional choice; Let’s say in 2022 the Eagles get a choice of round three if Wentz makes it to the Pro Bowl or round two if he’s a Pro Bowler and the Colts make it to the AFC Championship Game.
The Eagles would continue with Jalen Hurts as their starter, but they would still want to add a backup in case Hurts struggles or gets injured. With limited cap space, the Eagles can chase an old friend …
The Bears trade QB Nick Foles for the Eagles for TE Zach Ertz and a sixth round for 2021.
Chicago doesn’t have a lot of cap space either, but Ertz’s $ 8.3 million salary would replace Jimmy Graham, who will likely be cut after the season. We all know how much general manager Ryan Pace loves his tight ends, and Ertz would get into two tight sets for the Bears alongside Cole Kmet.
Foles will have a base salary of $ 4 million in 2021, making him financially viable for his former team. What could the Bears do after they parted ways with Foles?