When It Rains It Pours
The Washington Commanders' Super Bowl odds actually dropped after trading for Carson Wentz
Wednesday was a no good, terrible, very bad day for Carson Wentz. To the naked eye, his trade to the Washington Commanders might seem like a fresh start, but it’s so much messier than that. First of all, it’s Washington and no one ever gets a fresh start in Washington. Second of all, when the news of Wentz’s trade broke, so did the floodgates of his time in Indianapolis, including a damning report that Colts head coach Frank Reich—who worked closely with Wentz for two years in Philadelphia, including his MVP-candidate season in 2017—personally apologized to Colts ownership for vouching for Wentz last offseason. Then, as if there weren’t enough salt in the wound, oddsmakers dumped another box of Morton’s in the cut with this little doozy.
Yes, you’re reading that correctly. Vegas believes the Washington Commanders, whose only quarterback currently under contract is Taylor Heinicke, actually got worse by trading for Carson Wentz, with the team’s Super Bowl LVII odds falling from 60-1 to 75-1 on Wednesday afternoon. That’s how underwhelming the former number-two-overall pick has been on the field (and how toxic he’s been off it) the past several seasons.
Of course, it’s worth noting that the Commanders weren’t going to win the Super Bowl anyway, so this is all sort of moot. It’s like asking if it’s easier to get to Uranus or Pluto. Doesn’t matter when you can’t even make the moon. This is also likely a reflection of who the Commanders didn’t get (Russell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo, Deshaun Watson, et. al) rather than who they did. But still, a tough afternoon in the Wentz household. Here’s hoping he’s not watching the lines …