Commanders Quarterback Carson Wentz Released by Team After One Season

Commanders Quarterback Carson Wentz Released After One Season
Commanders Quarterback Carson Wentz Released After One Season
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Carson Wentz no longer plays for the Washington Commanders.

The team released the quarterback along with safety Bobby McCain, per an announcement shared on its website on Monday.

Wentz joined the Commanders after an offseason trade with the Indianapolis Colts last March. During his time on the NFC East team, he appeared in eight games and started in seven. He scored 11 touchdowns and completed 62.3 percent of his passes totaling 1,755 yards. He also had nine interceptions.

After starting in the first six games of the most recent season, he was forced to sit out until game 16 after breaking his finger when the Commanders played the Chicago Bears. He returned to the field when the team took on the San Francisco 49ers later that season.

"The Commanders believed that Wentz could use his veteran experience to push Washington to the playoffs, but after missing over half the season with his injury, those hopes ultimately did not pan out," the team said in its release.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Commanders will now save $26.17 million against its salary cap.

In his most recent Instagram post, Wentz reacted to the Commanders' season coming to an end on Jan. 10.

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"Year 7 was an adventure and didn't end the way we all wanted," he wrote alongside images of him and his now-former teammates. "Yet, I'm grateful for another year to play this game and more importantly-- grateful for the people I got to work with all year."

He continued, "Such a fun, unique group of guys and some relationships were built that will last a lifetime! Lots of memories, fun, laughs, and highs & lows, but I praise God for the opportunity once again and the journey along the way. #AO1"

As for McCain, he had been with the Commanders since 2021, appearing in 34 games with 32 starts. He had 139 tackles and four interceptions, the team noted in its release.

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With Wentz's exits, Sam Howell and Taylor Heinicke are the remaining quarterbacks on the team, with Heinicke scheduled to be a free agent in March.

Earlier this month, Commanders coach Ron Rivera said Howell would be the team's top quarterback in the offseason.

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"Going in, [Howell will] start as the No. 1 but it's something he has to continue to earn and show us he deserves to be that guy," said Rivera, according to ESPN. He added, "We don't intend to overspend on capital, whether draft picks, players and money."

Praising Howell, he said, "He has the ability to put the ball where it needed to be and he learned very quickly from his mistakes."

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Before leading the Commanders, Wentz was traded by the Philadelphia Eagles to the Colts ahead of the 2021 season.