Ron Rivera made several fatal errors during his four-year stint with the Washington Commanders. His most glaring failure, above all else, was his inability to solve the complication at football's most pivotal position.
Rivera spent draft picks and money on free agents to solve his quarterback conundrum. None of those worked, and there was also an ill-advised trade to acquire Carson Wentz to factor in.
This reeked of desperation at the time, and it went just as badly as fans expected. Wentz struggled to build momentum, and injuries didn't help. He lasted just one season in Washington before they cut the cord. Rivera had one more gamble to take, but Sam Howell's inconsistencies were the final straw.
Wentz has bounced around the league since. He spent time as a backup with the Los Angeles Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs. Nobody immediately came calling this offseason, but the Minnesota Vikings added him to the ranks when their trade for Howell didn't pan out.
Vikings are finding out what Commanders fans already knew about Carson Wentz
The former North Dakota State standout was expected to back up J.J. McCarthy. However, another early injury to the 2024 first-round pick thrust Wentz into the starting role when all hope was fading.
Minnesota didn't have much choice, but they are finding out the hard way what the Commanders already knew.
Wentz is tough, but the consistency just isn't there anymore.
This was evident once again during the Vikings' prime-time clash with the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football. Things didn't click offensively, and Wentz looked flustered throughout behind an underperforming offensive line. Minnesota mustered just 10 points in defeat, and the signal-caller was sacked on 15.63 percent of his dropbacks. He was visibly frustrated throughout the contest and evidently playing hurt, prompting immediate calls to reinstate McCarthy.
The Vikings should have taken him out, but they didn't. And they are now staring down the barrel of a lost campaign.
The league moves quickly. Wentz was an NFL MVP frontrunner with the Philadelphia Eagles once upon a time, but a cruel injury setback put pay to that. He got second, third, and fourth chances to galvanize his career. However, the damage had been done, and it seems the end could be near for logging meaningful reps in a competitive setting.
Washington has its own problems, with Jayden Daniels set to miss Week 8 against the Kansas City Chiefs and possibly longer due to a low-grade hamstring strain. Marcus Mariota will once again deputize, and he could be getting some help after the wide receiver duo of Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel Sr. returned to practice.
As for Wentz? He'll be on the sidelines once McCarthy is ready. But with the Vikings now propping up the NFC North at 3-4, time is of the essence.