Carson Wentz's two ankle injuries are major problems for the Colts. They don't have a proven backup behind the veteran quarterback and it doesn't even appear that they know what they'll do if he is unable to play.
The Colts have Jacob Eason and Brett Hundley behind Wentz right now. While Eason, who is on the 53-man roster, was presumed the top backup and served as such during the first two weeks of the season, NFL Network's Tom Peliserro noted that it was Hundley who took a majority of the first-team reps on Wednesday afternoon.
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And if Wentz can't play, the Colts may opt to use both quarterbacks.
#Colts practice squad QB Brett Hundley took the majority of starter reps in practice Wednesday, and he and Jacob Eason may both play against the #Titans if Carson Wentz is out, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 23, 2021
There’s still hope Wentz (ankles) can play. Final decision may not come until Sunday.
The Colts may be hopeful that Wentz will start, but he is dealing with two ankle sprains, and the one in his right ankle is a high-ankle sprain, according to a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Those can take weeks to heal, so even if Wentz suits up he probably won't be playing at 100 percent. If he can't, the plan behind him is unclear.
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Eason, a fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, has thrown just five career NFL passes. All came last week in relief of Wentz. Eason completed two of them for 40 yards and then threw a game-sealing interception in the Colts' 27-24 loss to the Rams.
Hundley has been around the NFL longer. He was a fifth-round selection by the Packers during the 2015 NFL Draft and started nine games for them in 2017. He posted a 3-6 record and completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 1,836 yards, nine touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Since 2018, Hundley has thrown just 11 total passes, all of which came in relief of a banged-up Kyler Murray in 2019. He completed 5 of 11 passes for 49 yards. He signed with the Colts after Wentz suffered a preseason foot injury and has hung around as the team's third quarterback in wake of rookie Sam Ehlinger's knee sprain.
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Hundley is a good runner while Eason has a cannon of an arm, so perhaps the Colts can rotate them to keep the Titans' defense off-balance. Still, neither is an awe-inspiring option, even against a porous Titans defense.
The Colts' quarterback situation will bear watching on Sunday, but regardless of who starts, it seems like the Titans have the advantage in this matchup.
