UPDATE 2/27: The Commanders released Carson Wentz with two years and over $53 million remaining on his deal.
On his third team in three seasons, he’s now the man behind center in the nation’s capital — Boardroom looks at the details of the Washington Commanders’ Carson Wentz contract.
Being the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft is an incredible achievement. Being so talented and productive at a non-traditional hotbed of talent is another level of accomplishment. Such was the story of the beginning of Carson Wentz‘s professional football journey — the Philadelphia Eagles selected the signal-caller in 2016 out of North Dakota State, but after an impressive first two years, Wentz’s career has been up and down, to say the least.
He tore his ACL on Dec. 10 of the 2017 season, just as he was putting up MVP-level numbers and the Eagles were gearing up for a postseason run. Backup quarterback Nick Foles led Philly to its only Super Bowl title in franchise history.
No, the team wouldn’t have been in a position to win it all without Wentz’s contributions up to that point. Still, that injury changed the course of his career. Two disappointing seasons with Philadelphia followed, so he was then traded to the Indianapolis Colts before the 2021 season. There, he signed a four-year, $128 million deal in an attempt to kick-start a second act for his NFL career. Aroadmap for long-term success was never written, so Wentz was later traded to the Washington Commanders during the most recent offseason.
With that in mind, let’s dive into the finer details of the Commanders’ Carson Wentz contract.
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Carson Wentz Contract Details & Salary
- Years: 4 (potential out after 2022 season)
- Total value: $128,000,000
- Average annual value: $32,000,000
- Signing bonus: $16,367,683
- Guaranteed at signing: $66,470,683
- Total guaranteed money: $107,970,683
- Free agency: 2025
Annual contract extension salary:
- 2021: $21,305,882
- 2022: $28,294,119
- 2023: $26,176,470
- 2024: $27,235,294
The Commanders didn’t explode right out of the gate to begin Wentz’s first season at the helm, though he has found opportunities to be modestly productive considering the overall level of talent around him in the nation’s capital — Ron Rivera and Co. acquired him to provide stability and boost productivity in a vertical game that featured unsung Taylor Heinicke in 2021, so expectations weren’t strictly sky-high. Even so, he still lacks the consistency that made him a would-be phenom in those early days in Philly.
With the way this contract is structured, there is a potential out after this season. Despite Wentz’s issues with turnovers, he is still a top-10 QB in fantasy football as of this writing, having scored more points than both Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady through their first five games.
Carson Wentz’s Career Earnings
CAREER BASE SALARY: $42,245,562
CAREER SIGNING BONUSES: $33,968,656
OTHER BONUSES/INCENTIVES: $52,445,122
TOTAL SALARY EARNINGS THRU 2022 SEASON: $128,659,340
ESTIMATED SALARY EARNINGS THRU 2024 SEASON: $182,071,104
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