Carson Wentz Not 'Overly Concerned' About Ron Rivera's Comments on Commanders QB

Washington Commanders star Carson Wentz brushed aside a comment from head coach Ron Rivera in which he seemed to place the blame for the team's 1-4 start.

"Coach (Rivera) addressed it, handled it. Nothing for me that I'm overly concerned about," Wentz said Tuesday. "Coach is very straightforward, upfront guy. He addressed it in a team meeting, which I thought was really cool, and what he meant by all of it. I feel very confident."

On Monday, Rivera pointed to quarterback play as one thing that has separated Washington from its NFC East rivals and tried to clarify he wasn't criticizing Wentz directly:

Rivera followed up Tuesday on the The Don Geronimo Show and said he "had a mea culpa moment" and "created a bit of a distraction."

Wentz isn't the sole reason for the Commanders' record, but he hasn't exactly helped the team, either. During Washington's four-game losing streak, he has thrown for 1,077 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 62.1 percent of his passes. He has also fumbled the ball six times, with two being lost.

In general, the 29-year-old is the same player he was toward the end of his run with the Philadelphia Eagles and in his one year with the Indianapolis Colts.

Still, it's never advisable for a head coach to effectively throw his starting quarterback under the bus, and the onus is on Rivera and his staff to some extent to make the most of what they have and work around Wentz's flaws.

The Dallas Cowboys lost Dak Prescott to a thumb injury in their opener, and they've gone 4-0 with Cooper Rush under center. Like Washington, the New York Giants have a flawed quarterback with Daniel Jones, yet they're tied with the Cowboys at 4-1. Meanwhile, Jalen Hurts, the guy who replaced Wentz as the Philadelphia Eagles' starter, is building an MVP candidacy.

For better or worse, the Commanders are stuck with Wentz for at least this season since he has little to no trade value. Cutting him in the offseason would save $26.2 million, so they have an easy out in 2023.

Whether Rivera sticks around in the nation's capital to coach a new QB is another matter.