Carson Wentz contract: Why Commanders' trade for QB is a year-to-year proposition

Jacob Camenker

Carson Wentz contract: Why Commanders' trade for QB is a year-to-year proposition image

The Commanders were always expected to add a veteran quarterback during the 2022 NFL offseason. They were in the mix for multiple players on the trade market, including Russell Wilson, but ultimately ended up trading for Carson Wentz.

Washington sent the Colts two Day 2 picks and agreed to a swap of second-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft to acquire Wentz. The 29-year-old will be playing for his third team in as many seasons and will look to recapture the form he held during his 2017 Pro Bowl campaign.

TRADE DETAILS: What the Commanders gave up to get Carson Wentz

The trade is a gamble for the Commanders. Wentz has struggled over the last two seasons and both the Eagles and Colts have given up on him. Giving up two draft picks to acquire his services is a risk.

That said, Washington has put itself in a good position with Wentz's contract. It's paying him quite a lot for 2022, but if things don't work out, it will be able to move on from him with ease.

Sporting News breaks down Wentz's contract and why its current structure could prove beneficial to Washington.

Carson Wentz contract details

Wentz is entering the second year of a four-year, $128 million contract extension that he signed with the Eagles in 2019. The deal kicked in during the 2021 offseason after Wentz's rookie contract expired.

Wentz is currently the ninth highest-paid quarterback in the NFL in terms of average annual value, at $32 million.

Below is a year-by-year look at Wentz's salary and cap hit during the contract, per Spotrac.com.

Year Salary Bonus Cap hit Dead cap (if released)
2021 $15.4 million $5.9 million $21.3 million $35.4 million
2022 $22 million $6.3 million $28.3 million $15 million
2023 $20 million $6.2 million $26.2 million $0
2024 $21 million $6.2 million $27.2 million $0

Wentz will be paid roughly $28.3 million in cap and cash this season. That's a high price for a quarterback who has been below average the last two seasons, but the good news for the Commanders is that this deal comes with flexibility.

Why Carson Wentz's contract benefits the Commanders

The Commanders will have to pay Wentz for the 2022 NFL season given the structure of his contract, but they are not tied to him beyond this year.

Wentz is under contract for both 2023 and 2024, but he isn't due any guaranteed money those seasons. As such, Washington can cut him without incurring any dead-cap penalties, which occur when a player owed guaranteed money is released or traded by a team.

What does this mean? If Wentz struggles in 2022 or fails to live up to his contract, the Commanders can trade or release him without it taking up salary cap space. Conversely, if Wentz plays well, he can remain under team control through 2024.

The Commanders could also restructure Wentz's contract to lower his cap hit in 2022. That would push some of his current cap hit into future seasons. Still, barring an extremely backloaded adjustment to his contract, Washington would still be able to move on from Wentz without incurring a big penalty.  

In essence, this is a year-to-year arrangement. The Commanders paid a hefty price to land Wentz, but they won't have to pay another one to move on if things don't work out.

Jacob Camenker

Jacob Camenker Photo

Jacob Camenker first joined The Sporting News as a fantasy football intern in 2018 after his graduation from UMass. He became a full-time employee with TSN in 2021 and now serves as a senior content producer with a particular focus on the NFL. Jacob worked at NBC Sports Boston as a content producer from 2019 to 2021. He is an avid fan of the NFL Draft and ranked 10th in FantasyPros’ Mock Draft Accuracy metric in both 2021 and 2022.