Commanders Place QB Carson Wentz On IR

Carson Wentz‘s broken finger will force him to miss at least the next four weeks. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Commanders have placed their starting quarterback on injured reserve.

[RELATED: Commanders Name Taylor Heinicke Week 7 Starting QB]

Rapoport notes that there’s hope Wentz can return to the lineup when first eligible. The veteran QB will be allowed to return from IR in Week 11 against the Texans, meaning he’ll miss the Week 10 MNF matchup against his former team, the Eagles.

Wentz suffered a fractured finger in his throwing hand last Thursday, an injury that ultimately required surgery. The veteran was initially given a return timeline of four to six weeks, but Wentz expressed interest in playing through the injury. That clearly didn’t end up being the case; the QB was already ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Packers, and the Commanders are now putting him on the shelf for the three following games, as well.

Wentz has been inconsistent during his first season in Washington. The 29-year-old has completed 62 percent of his passes for 1,489 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six interceptions, although seven of those scores came in the first two weeks. Wentz and the Commanders offense struggled again in Week 6, with the QB only completing 12 of his 22 pass attempts for 99 yards. Coach Ron Rivera made headlines prior to that Week 6 victory when he attributed the team’s place in the NFC East standings to the “quarterback” position, although he later walked back those comments and defended his role in the team’s decision to acquire the QB from Indy.

As our own Adam La Rose previously pointed out, Wentz’s absence could end up impacting the draft picks that the Commanders sent to the Colts. The 2023 third-rounder sent to Indy will convert to a second-rounder if Wentz plays in 70% or more of the Commanders’ snaps this season. Wentz can still hit that mark if he misses four games, but the Commanders would barely have more than a game’s worth of wiggle room remaining.

Taylor Heinicke, who is in his third season with the organization, will take over under center. He dressed for only one regular season contest in 2020, but he made a name for himself in the playoffs in a one-score loss to the eventual Super Bowl champions. That landed him a two-year extension laden with playing-time incentives. He started all but one regular season contest he appeared in last year, going 7-8 and completing 65% of his passes. Washington is also rostering fifth-round rookie Sam Howell.