A Wentz return brings about strange emotions

by John Kincade

Carson Wentz returns on Monday night to Lincoln Financial Field. He will be on the sideline, not the starting QB for the Commanders. It is his first return visit since his departure from the Eagles in early 2021. The road that led him to Indianapolis was filled with potholes and the Colts couldn’t wait to get rid of him. They traded him to Washington in what was supposed to be a fresh start. It hit the skids early and an injury has him on the sidelines. The team immediately showed life when he was replaced and his future with the team looks bleak. It actually makes the complicated story of Carson Wentz harder to comprehend and our reaction to it more difficult to gauge.

The Eagles will most likely do nothing to acknowledge that Wentz is back home. There could be a couple of reasons for this. One, he asked to leave. He burned bridges. He publicly boasted about how the fans in Indianapolis were more “his kind of people”. A lot of fans took his departure in different ways. I saw the Indianapolis fan commentary as a veiled cheap shot at a city that had celebrated and embraced him. It ruined my memory of his time here. I still find great appreciation for the role he played in getting that team 11 wins that helped push them to home field advantage in the NFC in the 2017 season. The Eagles may also be looking out for Wentz knowing that any kind of acknowledgement may end in a very bad reaction from the crowd. That would be thoughtful of them, trying to spare him an embarrassing moment. He didn’t care about the fans much when he exited, so I am more for letting nature take its course.

Wentz will forever be one of the most confounding and intriguing stories I’ve ever seen in pro sports. His breakthrough into the NFL was dramatic. He started out 3-0 and showed incredible promise. That team wasn’t ready to win yet and Wentz and the Birds finished 7-9. Everybody knew that the best was yet to come. They sprinkled in some veterans and the team took off. We all know how the 2017 season ended, but many down play what Wentz meant to that victory. Everyone should know that if Nick Foles was asked to win those 11 regular season games he wasn’t going to do it. His career performance shows that. Wentz was the straw that stirred the drink. He put the ball on the 20 yard line and asked Foles to get the ball in the end zone. They both did an amazing job.

If by chance Wentz ends up on the Jumbotron, I expect a splatter of boos and mostly cheers. It would be kicking a man while he is down if fans decided to give him a throaty rude welcome. This is another chance to do better. I’d cheer, but I’ll be in the press box. You are free to do whatever you want, but think about the full story before you boo!