The quarterback, who was a free agent until Tuesday, is said to have agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Rams.

The Rams are now battling with a quarterback injury and require a reliable backup. During the Rams’ Week 8 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Matt Stafford suffered a UCL injury in his right thumb (the one on his throwing hand), forcing him to leave the game early in the third quarter. He was replaced by backup Brett Rypien, who took the field against the Green Bay Packers in Week 9.

However, Rypien’s debut did not go well, culminating in a humiliating and devastating 20-3 loss at Lambeau Field on Sunday. So it looks that the Rams scoured the free agent quarterback market and found Wentz. Rypien is expected to be released.

The last several years have not been good to Wentz as a starting quarterback. He reached his peak with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017, with an MVP-caliber season that was cut short in Week 14 due to a knee injury. After witnessing the Eagles win the Super Bowl with his backup as quarterback, he had two mediocre seasons before the Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts in April 2020, which launched Wentz on the path he is now on.

Wentz apparently felt threatened by Eagles general manager Howie Roseman’s decision to pick a star collegiate quarterback in the second round, and it showed in his performance. Wentz threw 16 touchdowns and five running scores in 12 games while throwing 14 interceptions and completing only 57.4% of his passes. He allegedly stopped speaking with then-head coach Doug Pederson, who benched him in Week 13 of the NFL season. He never played another snap for the Eagles again.

After that, things didn’t get much better. Wentz was dealt to the Indianapolis Colts, where he spent one season before throwing an interception on the final play of Week 17, preventing the team from making the playoffs. In 2022, he was traded to the Washington Commanders, where he was benched in favour of Taylor Heinicke midseason.

All of this appears to work against him as a starter, but as a backup? Wentz has extensive NFL experience and has yet to play this season, so he’s fresh and healthy. And he’s almost probably better than Rypien. That is all the Rams are hoping for, as the organisation believes Stafford will return following the Week 10 bye.

Reports: Rams to sign Carson Wentz

According to various sources, the Rams will sign Wentz to serve as Matthew Stafford’s backup. Wentz last played for the Commanders in Week 17 of the 2022 season and has not been on a roster since being released by the team in February.

Wentz struggled for the majority of the first six weeks of last season before going on injured reserve after breaking a finger on his throwing hand. He was acquired in a trade with the Colts after his lone season in Indianapolis concluded with the Colts missing the playoffs after losing their final two regular-season games.

All of this happened after Wentz was drafted second overall by the Eagles in 2016 — one pick after the Rams selected Jared Goff — and was in the MVP conversation in his second season before tearing his ACL. The Eagles won the Super Bowl with Nick Foles, but Wentz’s return to the starting lineup was cut short by a back ailment, and he was benched in favour of Jalen Hurts in 2020.

Matthew Stafford missed Sunday’s game against the Packers due to a thumb injury, so Brett Rypien took his place. Rams head coach Sean McVay stated on Monday that the team expects Stafford to return after this week’s bye, but the switch to Wentz demonstrates that they do not.

Amid Pokémon card scandal, LB Blake Martinez joins Panthers

Blake Martinez signed with the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday, and head coach Frank Reich stated that the linebacker might play this week.

The 29-year-old joins the Panthers after being barred from the card-trading website Whatnot for several months.

Martinez founded Blake’s Breaks, a Pokémon and sports trading card company, after retiring from the NFL. CNBC reports that the company made more than $8.3 million in revenue.

However, he was accused of defrauding buyers and was fired from Whatnot in August.

“After a comprehensive investigation into [Blake’s Breaks’] operations, we have decided to permanently remove the seller from our platform,” according to a statement released by the site.

Martinez, who retired in November, has a chance to return to the field quickly now that that issue is resolved. Outside linebackers Brian Burns, Justin Houston, and Yetur Gross-Matos are all out for the Panthers, with the latter two on injured reserve.

Martinez was also reunited with Carolina senior defensive consultant Dom Capers, who he played under for two seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Martinez had a breakout season in 2017, recording 144 tackles.