Commanders sign former Georgia QB to practice squad after Carson Wentz injury

The Washington Commanders will be without their starting quarterback for at least the next three games. Carson Wentz met with a hand specialist Monday and there were actually some conflicting reports about his recovery timeline.

The broad timetable is 4-6 weeks, but ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported late Monday that Wentz was given a four-week timeline. The veteran quarterback will undergo surgery and Washington hasn’t decided whether to put him on IR.

That’s definitely good news for the Commanders, though it doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll see Wentz again this season.

Taylor Heinicke will take over the reins of the offense. If he sparks a mid-season turnaround, Washington might just stick with him. If he doesn’t and the team falls further out of the playoff picture, giving fifth-round rookie Sam Howell some run to end the campaign would make more sense than going back to Wentz.

We’ll cross that bridge when (and if) the time comes.

Wentz’s injury leaves the Commanders short-handed at quarterback, so they went out and added a third QB to the roster. According to ESPN’s John Keim, Washington is signing former Georgia star Jake Fromm to the practice squad.

The Commanders are signing QB Jake Fromm to the practice squad.

With Heinicke taking over the starting role and Howell getting promoted to the backup role, Fromm will serve as the emergency third-stringer.

Fans will be hoping the Commanders don’t have a repeat of last season and are forced to start their practice squad quarterback. Remember when Heinicke and Kyle Allen landed on the COVID list and Garrett Gilbert had to start against the Eagles days after signing with Washington? Yeah, that wasn’t a fun time.

In all seriousness, Fromm is a solid signing by the Commanders. He hasn’t accomplished much in the NFL, so folks probably remember his days at Georgia where he played alongside current NFL offensive stars Nick Chubb, D’Andre Swift, George Pickens, Mecole Hardman, Andrew Thomas and Sony Michel.

Like Howell this year, Fromm endured a surprising fall in the 2020 draft, falling to the Bills in the fifth round. With Josh Allen and then-Mitchell Trubisky ahead of him on the depth chart, Fromm didn’t make an appearance for Buffalo and he was signed off their practice squad by the Giants late last season.

The former Bulldog appeared in three games and made two starts for New York, including against Washington in Week 18. In that game, Fromm went 15-of-31 for 103 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, one of which Bobby McCain returned for a pick-six, and a lost fumble.

That game and Fromm’s career trajectory suggests he’ll be a lifetime practice squad/backup behind a superstar.

The 24-year-old will need an injury to Heinicke or Howell or unforeseen COVID outbreak to sniff any playing time, but his arrival means the Commanders are restocked at the quarterback position, which is all that matters.