Carson Wentz has officially bid the city of Philadelphia and the Eagles organization farewell in the aftermath of his trade to the Indianapolis Colts earlier this week. The quarterback posted a goodbye to his social media channels on Friday and thanked the Eagles for bringing him into the NFL as the No. 2 overall pick back in 2016. He noted that he'll miss the teammates he leaves behind in Philly and "will never forget the relationships and memories made over the years."
The 28-year-old then focused his affection toward Eagles fans, fondly looking back at their Super Bowl LII title -- the first in franchise history -- and said we "brought the Lombardi trophy home to Philly and hopefully brought a lot of joy to the city over the years." As for his next step, Wentz is "excited to join the Indianapolis Colts and look(s) forward to the work ahead."
Here's Wentz's full statement, via his official Instagram page:
"What a journey.
"More than anything, I will miss my teammates. Thank you. I appreciate every one of you and will never forget the relationships and memories made over the years. So many lifelong relationships have been formed in that locker room. Thank you for the fellowship, the camaraderie in the locker room, and the daily battles out on the practice field!
"To the City of Philadelphia: Thank you. You have been my home for the past five years. It has been everything a kid from Bismarck, North Dakota, could have dreamed of. My family grew here, had a lot of fun, ate a lot of great food, got to be a part of an incredible church, and so many more memories off the field. On the field, we brought the Lombardi trophy home to Philly and hopefully brought a lot of joy to the city over the years. Thank you to the amazing Eagles fans across the world that have supported my family, our foundation, and our football team through all of the wins and losses. It was an honor to play in a city whose passion and love for their football team is unrivaled. Thank you for supporting my family and our AO1 foundation. We hope we have made a positive impact in the communities in Philly and look forward to continuing our efforts to impact the area!
"Thank you to the Eagles organization for drafting me and making my NFL dream come true. Thank you, Mr. [Jeffrey] Lurie, Howie Roseman and the Eagles front office, coach [Doug] Pederson and all of my coaches, our training staff, our equipment staff and all of the support staff at the Nova Care Complex. It has been an amazing journey, and I wish you all the best.
"As one chapter closes, another one begins. And I'm excited to join the Indianapolis Colts and look forward to the work ahead! God's plan! Hebrews 12:1-2 #AO1"
While Wentz began his Eagles career as a budding MVP-caliber player and seemed to be on the doorstep of a burgeoning dynasty, 2020 saw him fall out of favor with the Philadelphia coaching staff. In the midst of last season, Wentz was benched in place of rookie Jalen Hurts, who now looks in-line to be the full-time starter for the Eagles in 2021.
The arrival of Hurts led to this inevitable divorce between Wentz and the Eagles, who were able to acquire a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional 2022 second-round pick from the Colts. That conditional pick could bump into the first round if Wentz plays 75% of the offensive snaps for Indy next season or if he plays in 70% of the snaps and the Colts reach the playoffs, which makes this a pretty desirable asset for Philadelphia. That said, if Wentz is able to turn things around in Indy with former Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich as his new head coach, the Colts will likely be more than happy to send a first back to the QB's former club.
