SF 49ers: 5 quarterbacks fans should cross off 2021 ‘wish’ list

No. 1: Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles

He might be moved soon, perhaps even before this article goes live. At least that’s what the buzz has been about surrounding embattled Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz.

But if he remains in place, it could merely be a smoke-and-mirrors campaign by Philly to get interested teams to up their asking price for Wentz’s services.

San Francisco 49ers

Wentz is in a worse situation than Darnold. At 28 years old, Wentz can no longer fall into the “still promising but mismanaged” young player category Darnold is arguably in. Tack on Wentz’s massive regression in 2020, which ended up getting him tied with Nick Mullens for the league’s worst interception percentage (3.7), along with being benched for then-rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts, and Wentz is essentially damaged goods.

What makes the entire prospect for the SF 49ers trying to acquire Wentz this offseason worse, however, is the contract.

Wentz would be due $25.4 million from his new team if traded in 2021 before June 1, and his contract numbers would hover around that amount through his 2024 contract year and the Eagles would be eating a massive amount of dead money — $33.8 million.

But it’s almost a situation where Philly might be forced to include draft compensation as part of another team taking on Wentz’s sizable deal.

With just over $14 million in cap space, currently, that’s not a position the Niners are in. And committing to a player who has regressed significantly is even worse a possibility.