3 reasons Commanders should bench Carson Wentz for Taylor Heinicke
By Jerry Trotta
2. It would save Commanders a 2023 draft pick
It might be too early to entertain this conversation, but why not? The Commanders are 1-3 and face the Titans, Packers, Vikings and Eagles in four of the next five weeks. A Thursday night matchup in Chicago is sprinkled in there. Can you really mark that down as a victory after what you’ve seen these last two games?
Speaking of Washington overpaying for Wentz, let’s remind everyone of what the front office parted with in terms of draft picks:
- 2022 second-round pick (No. 42 overall)
- 2022 third-round pick (No. 82 overall
- 2023 conditional third-round pick that will become a second-rounder if Wentz plays 70 percent of the snaps this season.
Wentz should hit the 70% threshold around the Week 12 or 13 part of the schedule, or thereabouts. We all know the Commanders need all their draft picks to improve the roster and starting Heinicke for a couple games would decrease the likelihood of the team losing a second-round pick next year.
We’re not saying Heinicke should replace Wentz for this reason, but it’s definitely an added bonus to making a quarterback change. It doesn’t have to be permanent, but the Commanders should definitely have an eye on this if they continue losing games.