3 credible free agent backup quarterbacks the Detroit Lions could sign

1. Carson Wentz

2022 Team: Washington Commanders

Going all-in here with a big name who’s game has truly never lived up his name and draft status. Wentz is fast becoming a journeyman, as the Indianapolis Colts couldn’t wait to get rid of him after one season in 2021 and the Commanders followed suit by cutting him this offseason.

To absolutely no surprise, Wentz made it clear he intends to keep playing and is open to any role on a new team. Well he’s open to “various roles” actually, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. As if he has a choice other than to be open to being a backup at this point.

Wentz was of course the second overall pick in the 2016 draft, one pick after Lions quarterback Jared Goff. That is more interesting than an invitation for controversy should Wentz land in Detroit. For whatever it might be worth, Wentz had one of his most productive games last season for Washington in Week 2 against the Lions.

Wentz is lined up for a big piece of humble pie, if the last couple offseasons haven’t been enough to feed it to him already. There are for sure worse places to land as a backup than Detroit, especially as some teams who could have had some interest in him have signed other quarterbacks to fill out their depth charts.

The prospect of the Lions signing Wentz will truly come down to them having any interest at all, now or eventually, and to this point there has been nothing to suggest they do. He may simply be already deemed as not worth the trouble, even as a backup who will only play if Goff is unable to.

But for a team that needs a more credible No. 2 quarterback, should Goff miss time during a 2023 season with high expectations, Wentz should be broadly in play.