Colts Activate QB Carson Wentz, CB T.J. Carrie, T Braden Smith from COVID List
On Saturday, the Indianapolis Colts announced that three players have been activated off the team's reserve/COVID list. With a homestand vs. the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, the Colts will have quarterback Carson Wentz, cornerback, T.J. Carrie, and offensive tackle Braden Smith available to play.
The news comes on the heels of Wentz hitting the reserve list on Tuesday, which caused all Colts fans to sweat about his Week 17 status. With the Colts still battling to secure a playoff spot, and still well within viable probability of winning the AFC South, this would have been a bad time to play without Wentz.
Fortunately, it's a non-issue now as the veteran will be under center for Frank Reich on Sunday. Wentz has started 15 games this season since arriving via trade from Philadelphia this past spring.
He's provided Indianapolis with stability and competence under center, totaling 3,230 passing yards and 25 touchdowns with just six interceptions. Wentz has been efficient, completing 62.8% of his passes and protecting the football.
If the playoffs started this weekend, the Colts would be in as the AFC's No. 5 seed. However, it's a log-jam in the Conference right now so in order to guarantee a place in the NFL tournament, Indianapolis has to win out.
This week's tilt against the Raiders is crucial and so is the season finale vs. the floundered Jacksonville Jaguars. Already, the Wentz trade has paid dividends but the ultimate return on investment will come when the Colts earn a playoff bid.
Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen.
