Indianapolis Colts

Could Mitchell Trubisky replace Carson Wentz with the Colts?

Published Mar. 9, 2022 6:41 p.m. ET

The rumors proved to be true: The Indianapolis Colts were ready to move on from Carson Wentz.

"Carson Wentz lost to the Jags and [Colts owner] Jim Irsay freaked out," Colin Cowherd said Wednesday.

With the Colts trading Wentz to the Washington Commanders on Wednesday, Indy is now down a starting quarterback with the NFL Draft quickly approaching.

However, the Wentz rumors weren't the only ones flying around.

It's possible that the Colts' replacement for Wentz isn't in the upcoming draft, but instead, is an impending free agent. Cowherd believes that to be the case, and he's staring squarely at Mitchell Trubisky.

"They're going to go get Mitch Trubisky is my guess," Cowherd said on "The Herd."

"What they are going to do now is go and get a quarterback who doesn't make the mistakes, a lower ceiling. They're going to go and get Trubisky. That would be my guess.

"Russell Wilson is off the market. Wentz is off the market. Deshaun Watson, to me, does not fit the culture of the Colts. To me, it's Trubisky."

Trubisky spent the 2021 season as the backup to Josh Allen with the Buffalo Bills, but the No. 2 overall pick from the 2017 NFL Draft has experienced success as a starter in the NFL.

Trubisky has a 29-21 career record as a starting quarterback in the NFL, with his most successful season coming in 2018, when he led the Chicago Bears to a NFC North title with a 12-4 record while throwing for 3,223 yards and 24 touchdowns.

He was named to the Pro Bowl that season.

"He's kind of the opposite of Wentz, where he doesn't blow you away physically," Cowherd said. "He made the playoffs twice in a division with Aaron Rodgers. … He doesn't ‘wow’ you. But he moves around a little bit. He's safer."

After going 4-8 as a starting quarterback in his rookie season, Trubisky posted a winning record as the Bears starting quarterback in every season from 2018-2020, despite being replaced as the starter midway through the 2020 season by Nick Foles.

And Cowherd is right about Trubisky: While he doesn't offer the same statistical highs of Wentz, he has proven to be serviceable, and that could be all the Colts need out of a starting quarterback right now.