The NFL trade deadline may have ended last week, but it hasn’t stopped Los Angeles from shaking up their quarterback room with a late free agency addition of Carson Went. The former Super Bowl winner takes centre-stage for this week’s Gridiron Gossip, as Wentz looks to reignite his career following failed stints in Indianapolis and Washington.
We will also discuss Will Levis’ usurping of Ryan Tannehill for the starting quarterback spot in Tennessee. The second-round pick has galvanised Titans’ fans with his all-action passing, condemning the injured Tannehill to ride out the remainder of his contract on the side-lines. There is also time to big-up football’s modern Swiss Army knife, Taysom Hill.
In case you missed it: No matter how tight it gets near the end, the Philadelphia Eagles continue to win as they look to avenge their painful Super Bowl loss last year. Catch up on the movement of every team with our Pintsized NFL Week 10 Power Rankings.
Carson Wentz joins Los Angeles in Ram-arkable pick-up
The dreams of a Brett Rypien x Los Angeles Super Bowl run were cruelly ended last night as Rams waived their Canadian quarterback in order to pick up former second draft pick Carson Wentz. A quarterback change was hardly surprising after Rypien’s disastrous display in last weekend’s loss to the Green Bay Packers. The Boise State alumnus completed just 13 passes for just 130 yards, no touchdowns and an interception, in addition to fumbling the ball twice.
With starting quarterback Matthew Stafford remaining on the side-lines until the end of the month, coach Sean McVay has plucked Wentz out of free agency obscurity to lead the Rams offence in the interim. Although he is only 30-years-old, the general consensus dates Wentz’s peak to his 2017 season where he lead the Philadelphia Eagles to an 11-2 record before suffering a season-ending injury. Since then, Wentz’s production has tanked following increasingly worse tenures at the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders.
As the Rams are already sitting on an ugly 3-6 record, it caps the damage that Wentz’s ‘hero-ball’ can wreak. While his high turnover rate has put off other teams from paying a premium to pick up the two-time FCS national champion, the Rams are in prime position to take a punt on him. Wentz will have the opportunity to connect with stud wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, all while operating behind the protection of the league’s highest-rated guard (according to PFF), Kevin Dotson.
Ryan Tannehill benched indefinitely for Will Levis
A new era has dawned in Nashville as Titans coach Mike Vrabel confirmed last night that rookie quarterback Will Levis will be the Titans’ starting quarterback for the remainder of the season. The second-round pick out of the University of Kentucky impressed in his two career starts while covering for the injured Ryan Tannehill. Although Levis was intercepted in a game-losing drive against the Pittsburgh Steelers last Thursday, the 24-year-old announced himself with a four-touchdown winning performance against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8.
The roster changes comes at the expense of Ryan Tannehill, marking the end of the 35-year-old’s time in The Volunteer State. Tannehill had been more fitting of his ‘over-the-hill’ nickname this season, showing a steep physical decline across the first six games of the season, registering just two touchdowns and six interceptions. The Texas native enjoyed a career resurgence in Tennessee, including the 2019 Cinderella season where the Titans reached the AFC Championship game before falling to eventual Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs.
Taysom Hill – Football’s greatest Swiss Army Knife?
The NFL’s greatest diamond in the rough, Taysom Hill, finally appears set to receive his due credit. Earlier this week, the New Orleans Saints revealed that their utility player had been contacted by the Pro Football Hall of Fame for uniform pieces following his record setting performance against the Chicago Bears. After receiving his tenth career receiving touchdown on Sunday, the 33-year-old became just the fifth player in NFL history to notch ten career touchdown runs, passes and catches.
A 10-10-10 mark was last achieved in 1964 by New York Giants halfback Frank Gifford. Hill therefore stands alone in the modern era as football’s last standing Swiss Army knife, excelling in a variety of roles on offence and special teams. The former BYU quarterback standout has adapted to his teams needs at every calling and deserves recognition for his selfless career. It marks yet another string to the bow of the quarterback with the most single-season touchdowns without a turnover (7)!
Leave a Reply