Washington Commanders QB Carson Wentz visits doctor with injured throwing arm, shoulder

Carson Wentz has not only been bad, but he’s also clearly dealing with an injury. Just one day after the Washington Commanders’ Week 6 win on Thursday night, head coach Ron Rivera revealed that his starting quarterback is actually dealing with both arm and shoulder injuries. With the Commanders now having nine days before their next game, Wentz will visit the hospital on a a visit to the doctor.

There has been no indication of what specific type of injuries Wentz is dealing with other than the fact that they are to his right arm and shoulder. Wentz could be seen inadvertently hitting his hand on his helmet during Thursday’s win, so it’s possible that’s where the hand injury came from.

We should probably get more specific news when the GMs want to give us an update, but they won’t have practice until Monday, so it may be a while before we hear more about their starter’s current playing status.

For now, when asked about Wentz’s status for Week 7, Coach Rivera says, “we will see.”

Related: Ron Rivera blasts NFL reporter, defends Carson Wentz trade

Carson Wentz’s injury could provide the perfect excuse to start the backup

We see this all the time in sports. An ineffective starter appears on the injury report before eventually being sidelined for a week or more.

This case could not be different. Wentz mostly struggled through six games as Washington’s starter. They are lucky to be 2-4 instead of 1-5, or worse. While we can’t put all of Washington’s scoring woes on Wentz, he deserves just as much blame as anyone.

Of course, Washington’s offensive line is questionable. Pro Football Focus had a line of commanders 27th ranked unit starts the week. This is confirmed by statistics. Not only was Wentz sacked 23 times, but the Commanders ranked ninth in average. If Brian Robinson’s return to the lineup can create a spark for the offense down the field, then Wentz will be the next variable to experiment with.

• Carson Wentz statistics with Washington Commanders: 62.1%, 1,489 passing yards, 10 TD, 6 INT

Washington can’t afford to lose many more games if they still have any hope of competing for an NFC Wild Card spot. With the Philadelphia Eagles at 5-0 and the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants at 4-1, the Commanders have a lot of ground to make up in their division, let alone the conference.

Still, Wentz’s injury could be the excuse Coach Rivera needs to give any backup QB a chance. Taylor Heinicke has 16 games of NFL starting experience and was able to lead the Commanders to a 7-8 record a season ago. It’s possible Rivera wants to see if he’s improved at all with another year of seasoning.

Then there’s preseason sensation and fifth-round pick out of North Carolina – Sam Howell. We know what Heinicke is, he’s a high-level backup who can step in and start a few games if needed. But he’s not leading any team to the playoffs. Not much upside with a 29 year old QB.

But Howell, on the other hand, is only 22 years old and we still don’t know how he might perform in the NFL. At one point, Howell was mentioned as a potential first-round pick. Losing his most talented receivers from his junior season to his senior year caused his draft stock to drop, but he remains an impressive prospect who offers a versatile skill set thanks to his mobility.

If Wentz isn’t close to 100% (most aren’t until Week 7), then maybe it’s time for Howell to finally get his chance.

Related: 3 reasons why it’s time for the Washington Chiefs to fire Ron Rivera