Carson Wentz seems unfazed by Week 10 return to Philadelphia

The Washington Commanders‘ 2022 schedule has arrived and the immediate reactions revolved around quarterback Carson Wentz.

For starters, Wentz’s first home game with the Commanders will come against Jacksonville, who might be his foremost rival after they knocked his Colts out of playoff contention with a monster upset in Week 18 of last year.

Of course, it was that game that marked the end of Wentz’s one-year run in Indianapolis before he got traded to Washington.

Wentz will also face former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, who benched him in Week 12 of the 2020 season (which preluded his eventual trade to Indy that offseason) and got hired to replace the embattled Urban Meyer.

Though all sizable subplots, the much bigger deal will be Wentz’s return to Philadelphia, which figures to be emotional, as it’ll come in Week 10 at Lincoln Financial Field for an edition of Monday Night Football.

Despite the obvious allure behind the matchup, Wentz seemed unfazed by the idea of playing his former team. Check out what QB1 had to say about the game during an appearance on “NFL Total Access” following the schedule release.

Commanders QB Carson Wentz downplayed his return to Philadelphia in Week 10 of next season.

"I know that’ll be a big game. A lot of emotions. I’m sure fans will eat that one up and it’ll be fun and make for a good storyline. But at the end of the day, it’s going to be just another ballgame. It’s going to be a huge divisional game for us when that one comes. So I’m excited for it, but at the same time, I’m trying not to get too excited for that one, because, again, it’s just football. Can’t press. Can’t do too much."

Is Wentz actually this unbothered by the return? If he isn’t, he did a phenomenal job of selling it. Either way, this is the perfect mindset, as his Eagles tenure featured significantly more peaks than valleys. It’s just the latest memories that might rub some Philly fans the wrong way, as he performed woefully in his final season, tying for the league lead in interceptions with 15 despite playing 12 games.

Before that, Wentz was a beloved figure in the City of Brotherly Love. On top of making the playoffs three straight years from 2017 to 2019, he finished third in MVP voting in 2017 before a torn ACL prevented him from partaking in the team’s championship run, which was famously led by Nick Foles.

Put yourself in Wentz’s shoes. How would you feel if you got injured right before the playoffs during an MVP-caliber season only to witness your backup lead your team to a Super Bowl win over Tom Brady and the Patriots? That couldn’t have been easy … and there’s now a statue of Foles outside the stadium!

Depsite that, Wentz performed well the following year, leading the Eagles to a 9-7 regular-season record while completing 63.9% of his passes for 4,039 yards and 27 touchdowns to seven interceptions with a makeshift offensive line and his top pass-catchers being tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert.

Of course, recency bias is king and Eagles fans’ lasting memory of Wentz is his infamous 2020 campaign and unceremonious departure. While that’s clearly what they remember most, Wentz was a solid QB for the franchise and it’s clear he’s reminded himself of that since the schedule got released.

Love this attitude from the Commanders’ quarterback.