Carson Wentz’s tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles will go down as one of the strangest in NFL history. The former No. 2 overall pick was sensational as a sophomore before he got injured and saw backup Nick Foles lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl title. Injuries would plague his career from there, but for the next two seasons, when he was on the field, he looked sensational and earned a massive extension in the process.
Then 2020 happened and Wentz was so bad the Eagles had to turn to rookie Jalen Hurts to close out the season, all but signaling the end of his time in Philly. Now Wentz is headed to Indianapolis for a fresh start, after the Colts traded a 2021 third round pick and a 2022 conditional second rounder (that could become a first) to Philly for him. It was a move the Eagles seemingly had to make as both parties needed to move on, and Indy gets a quarterback they hope can be their future after Philip Rivers’ retirement (and, before that, Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement).
Wentz’s past success when healthy and his disaster of a 2020 campaign makes him among the most polarizing players in the league. There are some who think he might be cooked, while others still believe he can recapture that MVP-level magic from earlier in his career. ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky can be firmly counted among the latter group, and on Thursday’s NFL Live he drove poor Mina Kimes to the brink of a breakdown on air while insisting this trade vaults the Colts into the title conversation in the AFC and that he expects Wentz to be an MVP candidate again.
see if you can pinpoint the exact moment when my brain breaks https://t.co/AK4no7L7Om
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) February 18, 2021
Let’s go through the many emotions of Mina, who is a tremendous analyst and also one of ESPN’s most meme-able figures, as she tries to stay quiet while Dan keeps doubling down on his Wentz love.
First, we get her “serenity now” moment as she can see where this is going.
Then we get to the real gem which is the post “Wentz is going to be an MVP candidate” reaction which is full hands-on head, smiling in disbelief.
As Dan continues, she tries her best to let him finish before her response, trying to hold it all together on air.
Finally, we get to his “home run” for the Colts assessment which draws one last cringe.
All the while, Laura Rutledge is loving every minute of it.