For most of his NFL career, Carson Wentz has entered the season as the unquestioned starting quarterback of his team. After being selected at No. 2 overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016, Wentz was the backup through most of the offseason program, but once Sam Bradford was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, it was clear that Wentz would be the guy. He remained the guy in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and he was even the guy heading into 2020 despite the Eagles having drafted Jalen Hurts.
After being deposed by Hurts and traded to the Indianapolis Colts, Wentz knew he would be the starter in 2021. And even after not playing all that well and being essentially salary-dumped to Washington, he knew he'd be the starter for the 2022 season. But then he lost the job in Washington and spent most of last year as an unsigned street free agent before catching on with the Los Angeles Rams as Matthew Stafford's backup for the tail end of the season.
Now, after signing with the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this offseason, Wentz knows for sure heading into the year that he is going to be the second-stringer, not the starter. And it's a bit of an adjustment.
"It's different," Wentz said, via ESPN. "I'm not going to lie. I'm trying to learn as much as I can as quickly as I can, formulate a relationship with all these guys and just keep getting better on the field. ... You've got to always be ready to go when called upon, so it's no different in that regard."
Of course, Wentz is working behind the game's best quarterback in Patrick Mahomes, so it makes sense that he is the surefire backup. But a backup's role is twofold: Be ready if called upon, and support the starter in his efforts to lead the offense. And Wentz is developing his relationship with Mahomes to accomplish those goals.
"We're still early," Wentz said. "We're only in here a handful of hours every day and a couple days a week, and it's not quite the grind that it will be. So that'll keep evolving and kind of how I find my place, so to speak. But Pat and I already have a great relationship and that'll keep growing and I'll keep finding ways I can help. I'll find a way to help him whatever way I can, whether that's off the field, on the field, whatever."
As for what he's learned from Mahomes during their relatively short time as teammates, Wentz pointed to the mental aspects of playing the position.
"He just processes the game really quickly," Wentz said of Mahomes. "He calls protections, he's in and out of the huddle and throwing anticipatory throws, all that stuff, all that stuff you see from afar. But it's just fun to see it and in some respects just see different windows on plays that maybe you didn't see before because he's playing so quickly out there."
There are very few quarterbacks who have ever played the game who can do the things Mahomes does on a down-to-down basis, so it's probably not the best idea for Wentz to emulate him in this regard. But it's unsurprising to see him come away so impressed, given what we've seen Mahomes do on the field. And if he can pick up some tricks to read defense and make better decisions in the event that he is called upon, that will only benefit the Chiefs.