Carson Wentz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Carson Wentz

Wentz in 2022
No. 11 – Kansas City Chiefs
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1992-12-30) December 30, 1992 (age 32) Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:	237 lb (108 kg)
Career information
High school:	Century (Bismarck, North Dakota)
College:	North Dakota State (2011–2015)
NFL Draft:	2016 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2
Career history
Philadelphia Eagles (2016) Indianapolis Colts (2021) Washington Commanders (2022) Los Angeles Rams (2023) Kansas City Chiefs (2024–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (LII) Second-team All-Pro (2017) Pro Bowl (2017) Bert Bell Award (2017) 5× FCS champion (2011–2015)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2024
Passing attempts: 3,327 Passing completions: 2,085 Completion percentage: 62.7% TD–INT: 153–67 Passing yards: 22,410 Passer rating: 89.3

Carson James Wentz (born December 30, 1992) is an American professional football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Dakota State Bison. There, he helped his team win two NCAA FCS national championships.

Wentz was picked second overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2016 NFL draft. This made him the highest-drafted player ever from the FCS. His best season was in 2017. He helped the Eagles get the top spot in their conference. Even though he got a season-ending injury, the team went on to win their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl LII. He also earned Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors that year. Wentz helped Philadelphia reach the playoffs in the next two seasons. However, more injuries limited his playing time. After losing his starting spot, Wentz played for the Indianapolis Colts, Washington Commanders, and Los Angeles Rams. He joined the Chiefs in 2024.

Early Life and Sports

Carson Wentz was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. His family moved to North Dakota when he was three years old. In high school, he played quarterback and defensive back for the football team at Century High School in Bismarck. He also played basketball and baseball.

He played ice hockey until high school, inspired by his older brother. Then he decided to join the basketball team instead. Wentz was 5 feet 8 inches tall as a freshman. He grew to 6 feet 5 inches by his senior year. He graduated in 2011 as the top student in his class.

College Football Career

Wentz went to North Dakota State. He spent his first season (2011) as a redshirt player. This meant he practiced with the team but didn't play in games. The Bison won their first Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) title that year.

In 2012, Wentz was the backup quarterback. He played in his first college game on September 22. He completed all eight of his passes for 93 yards. He also threw his first touchdown in a big 66–7 win. He finished the season with 12 completions for 144 yards and two touchdowns.

He was still the second-string quarterback in 2013. He played in 11 games. His best game was against Delaware State, where he completed 10 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.

Wentz became the starting quarterback in 2014, his junior year. In his first start, he completed 18 of 28 passes for 204 yards. His team won 34–14. In one game, he even caught a 16-yard touchdown pass! His best game for stats was against Missouri State. He threw for 247 yards and five touchdowns.

Wentz led North Dakota State to a 15–1 record. In January 2015, he played in his first national championship game. He passed for 287 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 87 yards and scored a touchdown. NDSU won their fourth straight NCAA Division I Football Championship game, 29–27. Wentz started all 16 games in 2014. He completed 228 passes for 3,111 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He was also the team's second-best rusher with 642 yards and six touchdowns.

In 2015, his senior year, Wentz had a career-high 335 passing yards in one game. The next week, he broke his wrist but finished the game. He missed eight weeks after surgery. He returned in January 2016 for the national championship. He led the Bison to their fifth straight FCS title. He ran for two touchdowns and threw for one. He was named the game's Most Outstanding Player for the second year in a row.

Wentz earned a degree in health and physical education. He had a perfect 4.0 grade point average. He was also recognized as an Academic All-American twice.

College Statistics

Season	Passing								Rushing
	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Avg	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Avg	TD
North Dakota State Bison
2011	Redshirt
2012	12	16	75.0	144	9.0	2	0	191.9	5	22	4.4	1
2013	22	30	73.3	209	7.0	1	0	142.9	10	70	7.0	0
2014	228	358	63.7	3,111	8.7	25	10	154.1	138	642	4.7	6
2015	130	208	62.5	1,651	7.9	17	4	152.3	63	294	4.7	6
Career	392	612	64.1	5,115	8.4	45	14	153.9	216	1,028	4.8	13

Professional Career

Before the Draft

In 2016, experts thought Wentz would be picked in the first round of the NFL draft. After his "pro day" (a special workout for scouts), he became a top 10 prospect. He also scored very well on the Wonderlic test, which measures problem-solving skills.

Philadelphia Eagles

2016 Season

Wentz in 2016

On April 28, 2016, the Philadelphia Eagles chose Wentz as the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft. He was the first quarterback the Eagles picked so high since 1999. The Eagles made big trades to move up and get him. Wentz signed a four-year contract worth $26.67 million.

Wentz was supposed to learn from the bench in 2016. But the Eagles traded their starting quarterback, Sam Bradford. So, Wentz became the starter for the first game of the season. In his first game, he threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns. The Eagles won 29–10. He was named the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week. He became the first rookie quarterback since 1970 to win his first two games without throwing an interception. He also had 301 passing yards and two touchdowns in a 34–3 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In his first season, Wentz started all 16 games. The Eagles finished with a 7–9 record. Wentz set a league record for rookies with 379 pass completions. He also set a franchise record for pass attempts with 607.

2017 Season

Wentz in 2017

In Week 1, Wentz had 307 passing yards and two touchdowns in a 30–17 win. In Week 5, he threw for 304 yards and a career-high four touchdowns. After five games, he had 1,362 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions. Many thought he might win the NFL MVP.

In Week 14, Wentz left a game against the Los Angeles Rams with a knee injury. He had 291 passing yards and four touchdowns before leaving. The Eagles won 43–35, winning their division title. The next day, tests showed he had a torn ACL. This meant he would miss the rest of the season. He finished the year with 3,296 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and a high quarterback rating.

Wentz had successful surgery on his ACL. He was chosen for his first Pro Bowl but could not play due to his injury. His fellow players ranked him third on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018. With Wentz injured, Nick Foles led the Eagles to win Super Bowl LII. It was the first Super Bowl win in the team's history.

2018 Season

Before the 2018 season, Wentz was ranked third overall in the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018. This was the highest debut ranking ever. Wentz missed the first two games to recover from his ACL injury. He returned in Week 3, throwing for 255 yards and a touchdown in a 20–16 win.

Near the end of the season, Wentz had a back injury. The Eagles decided to rest him to prevent further injury. Nick Foles became the starter again. Wentz finished the season with a 5–6 record as a starter. He passed for 3,074 yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Foles led the Eagles to a playoff victory. Wentz was ranked 96th by his fellow players in 2019.

2019 Season

Wentz in 2019

In April 2019, the Eagles extended Wentz's contract. He signed a four-year, $128 million deal. In Week 1, he threw for 313 yards and three touchdowns in a 32–27 win. In Week 4, he helped the Eagles win 34–27 with three passing touchdowns.

Wentz led the Eagles to a comeback victory in Week 14. He had 325 passing yards and two touchdowns. In Week 16, he threw for 319 yards and a touchdown in a 17–9 win. He helped the Eagles win their division title in Week 17. Wentz finished the 2019 season with 4,039 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He was the first Eagles quarterback to pass for over 4,000 yards.

In the playoffs, Wentz left the game in the first quarter with a head injury. He was ruled out with a concussion. The Eagles lost the game 17–9.

2020 Season

Wentz returned from injury in Week 1. He threw for 270 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in a 27–17 loss. He continued to face challenges in the following weeks. In Week 13, Wentz was replaced by Jalen Hurts during a game. The Eagles later named Hurts the starting quarterback.

When he was benched, Wentz had 21 total touchdowns. However, he led the league in interceptions (15), total turnovers (19), and sacks taken (50). He ended up leading the league in these categories despite playing only 12 games.

Indianapolis Colts (2021)

Wentz in 2021

On March 17, 2021, Wentz was traded to the Indianapolis Colts. He joined his former coach, Frank Reich. Wentz had foot surgery during training camp. But he was ready for the first game of the season. He completed 25 of 38 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns.

Wentz threw for a season-high 402 yards and two touchdowns in a close loss in Week 5. He finished the season with 3,563 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The Colts finished 9–8 but did not make the playoffs.

Washington Commanders (2022)

Wentz in 2022

Wentz was traded to the Washington Commanders on March 16, 2022. In his first game with the Commanders, he threw for 313 yards and four touchdowns in a 28–22 win. In Week 3, he played against his former team, the Eagles. He completed 58% of his passes for 211 yards.

In Week 5, Wentz threw an interception late in the game, leading to a loss. He fractured his ring finger in Week 6. He was placed on injured reserve and later returned. However, Taylor Heinicke had become the team's starter. Wentz played in relief in Week 16. He completed 12 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown. The coach named Wentz the starter for Week 17. He completed 16 of 28 passes for 143 yards, one rushing touchdown, and three interceptions. The Commanders lost, which ended their playoff hopes.

On February 27, 2023, the Commanders released Wentz after one season.

Los Angeles Rams (2023)

On November 8, 2023, Wentz signed with the Los Angeles Rams. He was the backup to Matthew Stafford. He started the Rams' final regular season game. He threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for a 12-yard touchdown. He helped the Rams win a close game 21–20.

Kansas City Chiefs (2024–present)

On April 2, 2024, Wentz signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. He is the backup to Patrick Mahomes. In Week 15, Wentz replaced an injured Mahomes in a 21–7 win. He started the final regular season game. He completed 10 of 17 passes for 98 yards. The Chiefs lost 38–0.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season

Postseason

Career Awards and Highlights

Eagles Franchise Records

• Passing yards in a season: 4,039 (2019)
• Passing touchdowns in a season: 33 (2017)
• Pass completions in a season: 388 (2019)
• Pass attempts in a season: 607 (2016 & 2019)

Awards

• Super Bowl champion (LII)
• Bert Bell Award (2017)
• Pro Bowl – 2017
• 3× Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week – Weeks 1, 3, and 5, 2016
• NFC Offensive Player of the Month – October 2017
• NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month – September 2016

Personal Life

Wentz with his wife, children, and Tanya Snyder in March 2022

Wentz has been married since 2018 and has three daughters.

Wentz is a Christian. He started the AO1 Foundation in 2017. In 2018, Wentz helped build a sports complex in Haiti. He enjoys hunting and often goes back to North Dakota to hunt.

Wentz's older brother, Zach, played college baseball. He pitched for the North Dakota State Bison team. Wentz's younger half-brother, Luke Domres, played both baseball and football in high school. He chose to focus on his studies and graduated with high honors.

See also

In Spanish: Carson Wentz para niños