Carson Wentz responds to Colts owner Jim Irsay's criticism: 'Out of left field'

Things went poorly for Carson Wentz during his only season with the Indianapolis Colts. Wentz's poor performance down the stretch led to the team missing the playoffs, which then led to the team trading him to the Washington Commanders in the offseason.

In the months after that trade, prominent members of the Colts have ripped Wentz, with team owner Jim Irsay calling the Wentz era "a mistake." Irsay also said it was "obvious" the team had to move on from Wentz in the offseason.

Wentz responded to those comments Wednesday, saying they came as a surprise.

Wentz took responsibility for his struggles with the Colts and said he had "awesome relationships" with everyone in the organization. He then discussed Irsay's comments, saying they "kind of came out of left field." Wentz then said Irsay was entitled to his opinion and can run the Colts however he wants. Wentz didn't seem vindictive during his answer.

Carson Wentz looking for success with Commanders

Wentz is hoping to find some consistency with the Commanders. He experienced a bounce back year with the Colts, throwing 27 touchdowns against 7 interceptions. But faced criticism for his late-season fade.

The Colts needed a win against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18 in order to make the playoffs, but couldn't get it done. Wentz struggled in the contest, throwing for 185 yards and 1 touchdown against 1 interception. The Jaguars won the contest 26-11. It was their third win of the season.

Though he hasn't played a game with the Commanders yet, Wentz is already under a spotlight in D.C. Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman believes this is Wentz's last chance to prove he can be a franchise quarterback in the NFL.

There's some truth to Aikman's words. If Wentz stumbles or fails to lead the Commanders to wins, the team might want to see what it has in rookie Sam Howell, who was taken in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft.