A whirlwind would be an understatement compared to the last three months Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz has experienced. A once-beloved athlete in one of the country’s largest sports markets, he has quickly become a scapegoat, often the barren of the blame for what went wrong for Philadelphia in 2020.

A fresh start seemed the proper course of action following his benching in Week 14 for second-round rookie Jalen Hurts. Now, just over a month later, Wentz’s trade market has taken a hit, and the Eagles are running out of time to make a move.

So, what could the market look like for the former second overall selection in 2016? Here’s a brief recap of similar transactions made and what they could represent in regards to Wentz’s value.

Just in the last few years, trades for backup quarterbacks have been common. The likes of Case Keenum, Josh Dobbs, Kyle Allen, and Super Bowl 52 MVP (and former Eagle) Nick Foles have been dealt for Day 3 selections in NFL drafts. The Miami Dolphins traded for former first-round pick Josh Rosen just one year after the Arizona Cardinals took him 10th overall out of UCLA (in the 2018 draft). Miami gave up a fifth-round pick and a future second-round pick only for Rosen to play six games in one year. In 2017, the San Francisco 49ers gave up a second-round pick for Jimmy Garoppolo, who had played just 17 games for the New England Patriots, starting two of them behind Tom Brady. After appearing in just six games in 2020, Garoppolo is now in the same boat as Wentz, as general manager John Lynch has expressed interest in moving him elsewhere.

For the Eagles’ sake, let’s go back even further to Sam Bradford’s trade. Oh, Sam Bradford...

Despite his lack of success as with the Eagles, they robbed Minnesota, receiving a first- and fourth-round pick from the Vikings following Teddy Bridgewater’s injury; but the market looks to be much different for a quarterback like Wentz looking to revitalize his career. It’s a unique narrative when discussing Wentz as a backup, but it’s the harsh reality he’s faced after his career has quickly derailed. Looking at the NFL average, the market for a backup quarterback, at best, would garner teams a mid-round selection. The crowd expecting a first-round pick for Wentz most likely won’t earn their wish, but Wentz is by far a more talented quarterback than the prior signal-callers listed; Philadelphia should stand pat if offered less than desired.

Enter Nick Sirianni, the Eagles’ new head coach, who reportedly has spoken with Wentz and would like to keep him in Philadelphia. Sirianni, the former offensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts, provides a unique angle for owner Jeffrey Lurie. Prior to the news surrounding Detroit Lions’ Matthew Stafford and an escalating situation in Houston surrounding Deshaun Watson, Indianapolis looked to be the new home for Wentz, reuniting him with offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who worked under Doug Pederson during the Eagles’ Super Bowl-winning season in 2017. With the addition of Sirianni and former Colts’ pass game specialist Kevin Patullo, Lurie may have just brought a taste of Indianapolis to the City of Brotherly Love in an effort to revitalize Wentz’s career and return the Eagles to the playoffs.

As a whole, Philadelphia needs as much value as possible to rebuild a once-thriving veteran group littered with developing talent. In some combination tackle Jason Peters, tight end Zach Ertz, center Jason Kelce, and now Wentz appear to be out in Philadelphia. The once core within a Super Bowl-winning roster has fallen again to the dissonant reality that is the NFL.

So now, with Stafford on the trading block, Watson on the outs in Houston, and an NFL carousel at quarterback expected this offseason, Wentz (for now) is still in Philly, and the longer he is, the less the Eagles will get in return if they plan to move him as we approach the start of a new league year on March 17.