Carson Wentz’s future in Indianapolis is growing murkier by the minute.
Days after Colts head coach Frank Reich failed to get into specifics about the 29-year-old quarterback acquired in a trade from the Eagles last March, general manager Chris Ballard offered cryptic words Thursday about Wentz and what’s next.
“At the time [of the trade] we felt it was the right decision. I’m not going to make a comment on who is going to be here next year and who isn’t … I thought Carson did some good things, and I thought there are some things he needs to do a lot better,” Ballard told reporters.
Through 17 games in his first season with the Colts, Wentz threw for 3,563 yards with 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Although he lead the team to a 9-8 record in the regular season, Indianapolis fell short of a playoff berth last Sunday following an embarrassing 26-11 loss to the Jaguars.
In Sunday’s regular-season finale in Jacksonville, Wentz had one touchdown and one interception and was sacked six times. He also completed 17 of 29 passes for 185 yards.
“I won’t sit up here and make excuses at to why we got our ass beat in Jacksonville, because that’s what happened,” Ballard said. “We got our ass beat.
“Make the layups. Make the layups. Make the layups. Carson wants to win. He has a will to win. Sometimes when you carry the burden where you think you have to make a big play all the time. Sometimes let the team help you, make the layups, make the layups.”
And while Ballard and Reich — Wentz’s offensive coordinator with the Eagles — may continue to ponder the quarterback’s fate, Colts alum Jeff Saturday said Tuesday on ESPN’s “First Take” that the team should move on.
“Consistently throughout the season, when the moments mattered most, he didn’t really step up and do things you would expect that type of quarterback with that type of investment to make,” Saturday said.
Wentz, originally drafted second overall by the Eagles in 2016, has three years and $81 million left on his contract, with only $15 million guaranteed.