Would Carson Wentz still be with Colts if they made the playoffs?

The Washington Commanders‘ selection of Sam Howell has somewhat distracted from the fact that this is Carson Wentz’s team. How long that’s the case, though, is the million-dollar question being asked by fans.

After joining his third club in as many seasons, the former second overall pick is hopeful to enjoy a long run of success in the nation’s capital. Based on Ron Rivera’s praise for Wentz, that feeling is reciprocated by the Commanders.

Of course, Wentz’s arrival in Washington was a polarizing one.

After the QB played a big role in the Colts’ end-of-season collapse, when he performed poorly in losses to the Raiders and Jaguars, Indianapolis’ front office made the seemingly quick-triggered decision to cut bait with Wentz.

Or was the verdict reached before the final two games? According to Colts general manager Chris Ballard, the front office still would’ve looked for alternative options even if Wentz led the team to the playoffs.

It sounds like Carson Wentz would’ve gotten traded or released even if he led the Colts to the playoffs.

Here’s what Ballard told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

"I think we still would’ve had some hard discussions (about moving on from Wentz). Just the way we played down the stretch, and we knew we needed to make some improvements in that area.The one thing I think Jim and I and Frank are when we know something’s not a good fit, don’t just try to justify it. Let’s move forward. We all knew we were going to get egg on our face. That is what it is, but at the end of the day it’s about doing the right thing for the organization. I think even if we would’ve ended up in the playoffs, we would’ve had some hard discussions going forward."

Initially viewed as a move decided by owner Jim Irsay, Ballard’s interview with Florio suggests the Colts, including head coach Frank Reich, had questions about Wentz’s long-term outlook even before the team capitulated in Weeks 17 and 18.

Over the final four games of 2021, Wentz completed less than 56 percent of his passes for 615 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.

That included back-breaking fumbles against Jacksonville, throwing for just 57 yards in a win over the Patriots and taking several back-breaking sacks because of his propensity to hold the ball too long in hope of making something out of nothing.

For now, the Colts get the last laugh, but they were very much in quarterback purgatory before the Falcons pursued Deshaun Watson. Their pursuit of the embattled star prompted Matt Ryan to request a trade out of Atlanta and Indy swooped in and acquired him for a third-round pick in the 2022 draft.

Again, the Colts very much lucked out in netting Ryan. If not for the Falcons’ pursuit of Watson, their remaining options would’ve been Jimmy Garoppolo, who’s recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Baker Mayfield, who seemingly no team wants, a journeymen free agent or a potential draft pick.

It doesn’t look great that Ballard and Co. mulled unloading Wentz before the team’s collapse, but that shouldn’t change Washington fans’ opinion of Wentz. We’ve said it multiple times since the trade, but it bears repeating following Ballard’s comments: Wentz is being made to be the fall guy for an organizational failure.