Commanders Rumors: Rodgers, Wilson, Garoppolo Among QBs Considered Before Wentz Trade

The Washington Commanders reportedly embarked on an "exhaustive" quarterback search before settling on Wednesday's trade for the Indianapolis Colts' Carson Wentz.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Thursday the Commanders also explored deals for the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers, Houston Texans' Deshaun Watson, San Francisco 49ers' Jimmy Garoppolo and Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson, who's since been traded to the Denver Broncos.

Washington also considered a potential free-agent run at former Chicago Bears starter Mitchell Trubisky, who spent the 2021 season as the Buffalo Bills' backup, per Fowler.

Taylor Heinicke started 15 games for Washington last season as the team finished 7-10, completing 65 percent of his passes for 3,419 yards and 20 touchdowns but also throwing 15 interceptions.

Wentz is viewed as an upgrade, although a disconnect has emerged between his statistical production and how he's viewed by the two teams he's played for in the NFL, the Colts and Philadelphia Eagles.

The 29-year-old North Dakota State product has completed 62.6 percent of his throws for 20,374 yards with 140 touchdowns and 57 interceptions across 85 career games. He's added 1,276 rushing yards and nine scores on the ground.

Four of his six seasons have featured 21 or more touchdown passes and exactly seven interceptions, including his best season in 2017 with Philly when he threw for 33 scores in just 13 games.

Yet, his actions behind the scenes apparently led him to wear out his welcome at each of his prior stops.

Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Wentz "struggled with accountability" during his time with the Eagles and his attitude while recovering from a 2017 knee injury "revealed character defects and affected him in certain corners of the locker room."

His tenure led members of the Eagles front office to question whether their "pre-draft evaluation didn't place enough emphasis on questionable character traits," per McLane.

Zak Keefer of The Athletic reported Wednesday that members of the Colts brass were ready to move on from Wentz "long before the team's late-season collapse" as they grew frustrated with his "lack of leadership, a resistance to hard coaching and a reckless style of play."

So, even though Wentz's on-field performance represents an upgrade for Washington, it's not a trade that comes without risk.

It's unclear whether the Commanders were close to a trade for any of the other signal-callers mentioned by Fowler.

Along with Wilson's move to Denver, Rodgers announced he's staying with the Packers, and Watson's status remains unsettled as legal proceedings are ongoing related to 10 criminal complaints and 22 civil lawsuits filed against him by women accusing him of sexual assault or misconduct during massage sessions.

Garoppolo now headlines the quarterbacks on the trade market, while Trubisky could be a hot commodity in free agency with the number of QBs available starting to dwindle.