Colts trading Carson Wentz to Washington further changes AFC’s quarterback landscape

Related: Broncos reportedly acquire Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson in blockbuster trade

Just one day after the Denver Broncos swung a blockbuster move to acquire Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Russell Wilson, the Indianapolis Colts also made a trade at the most important position in the sport. The team sent its starter of the 2021 season, Carson Wentz, to the Washington Commanders.

Multiple draft choices were exchanged as part of the deal. The Colts received second- and third-round selections this year, as well as a conditional third-round pick in 2023 that can become a second if the QB is on the field for 70 percent of Washington’s snaps in 2022. The Commanders, meanwhile, received Wentz and Indianapolis’ second-round pick in April.

The trade is more than just an exchanges of goods and Wentz-provided services, it also further changes the quarterback landscape in the AFC. The Colts can now be added to the list of teams without a clear starter on their rosters.

They are joined by the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans, while the long-term future in Miami, Cleveland, Tennessee and Las Vegas is also uncertain to a degree. As for 2022, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Houston are in the definitive market for help at the quarterback spot.

One name to watch for all three of these teams might be Jimmy Garoppolo. The San Francisco 49ers’ starter and former New England Patriots backup appears to be on his way out after the team invested multiple first-round picks to trade up and select Trey Lance last season. Lance saw only minimal action as a rookie, but it is clear that the 49ers view him as their quarterback of the future.

As for Garoppolo’s former team, the Patriots, they are in a comparatively comfortable position. Their own first-round pick in last year’s draft, Mac Jones, had a very good rookie season and is a prime candidate to make a sizable second-year jump in 2022.

That same season, he and the rest of the team will also go up against the now-Wentz-less Colts; the Patriots will host Indianapolis at Gillette Stadium during the regular season. The aforementioned Steelers, Browns, Dolphins and Raiders are also on New England’s schedule.