Wentz is likely to be a healthy inactive for Sunday's game against the Cowboys with the Commanders expected to proceed with Sam Howell and Taylor Heinicke as their available quarterbacks, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

After impressing in relief of a struggling Heinicke in the Commanders' Week 16 loss to the 49ers, Wentz reclaimed the starting gig Week 17. While making his first start since Week 6, Wentz fared poorly in a 24-10 loss to the Browns, completing just 16 of 28 attempts for 143 yards and three interceptions while adding a touchdown on the ground as the 7-8-1 Commanders saw their playoff hopes disappear. With little at stake in the finale, head coach Ron Rivera appears prepared to get his first glimpse at Howell, who has yet to make his NFL debut. Wentz, meanwhile, may have played his last snap for the Commanders. He's under contract through 2024 but has no guaranteed money on his deal beyond the 2022 season, making him a possible cut candidate this offseason.

Wentz completed 16 of 28 passes for 143 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions in Sunday's 24-10 loss to the Browns. He added three rushes for seven yards and a touchdown.

EDGE Analysis

Wentz returned to a starting role for the first time since Week 6 and did not fare well. He struggled to get the Commanders' offense moving and concluded two of the team's first three offensive possessions with an interception. Things improved slightly from there, and the highlight of Wentz's game came on a one-yard touchdown rush just before halftime. Even so, Wentz managed only 5.1 yards per attempt and made several impactful mistakes, leaving the door open for Taylor Heinicke to return as the starter in Week 18, per Ben Standig of The Athletic.

The Commanders have named Wentz their starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Browns, John Keim of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Wentz, who started the team's first six games of the season prior to breaking his right ring finger Oct. 13, replaced Taylor Heinicke in this past Saturday's 37-20 loss to the 49ers, finishing with 12 completions of 16 attempts for 123 yards and a touchdowns. With the 7-7-1 Commanders having gone 0-2-1 over their last three games, the team will move Heinicke to the bench and turn to Wentz with the hope that he can lead Washington to the postseason over the final two weeks of the regular season. He'll be facing a Cleveland defense that has allowed an average of 201.5 passing yards per game to date.

Wentz entered Saturday's contest in relief of struggling starter Taylor Heinicke, completing 12 of 16 pass attempts for 123 yards and a touchdown in a 37-20 loss to San Francisco.

EDGE Analysis

There were already rumblings of Wentz taking over for the Commanders following the team's recent skid, and that narrative will only get louder after the backup outperformed the starter (albeit in garbage time). Head coach Ron Rivera said that he will review the film and make a decision on his starting quarterback well ahead of next Sunday's kickoff against the Browns, the Washington Post's Nicki Jhabvala reports. If Wentz were to reclaim the starting job, he would be immediately thrust into a tough matchup against Myles Garrett and Cleveland's eighth-ranked pass defense.

Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said Tuesday that Wentz will serve as the backup quarterback behind starter Taylor Heinicke in Sunday's game against the Giants, Ben Standig of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Rivera hasn't completed closed the door on Wentz reclaiming the starting job at some point, but at least for the time being, the Commanders will stick with Heinicke, who has guided the team to a 5-1-1 record through his first seven outings of 2022. Heinicke has been propped up by the running game and the Commanders' defense to some degree, as he's completed 61.7 percent of his throws for 6.8 yards per attempt, nine touchdowns and five interceptions while adding 67 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries this season. Wentz posted similar numbers over his six starts prior to landing on injured reserve but was much more prone to taking sacks, so the Commanders won't deviate from what has thus far proven to be a winning formula with Heinicke at the helm.

The Commanders activated Wentz (finger) from injured reserve Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Wentz stands to serve as the primary backup to Taylor Heinicke now that he's returned to Washington's active roster, beginning with Sunday's divisional contest against the Giants. The veteran hasn't played since Week 6 due to having undergone right ring finger surgery. In his six starts this season, Wentz threw 10 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Wentz (finger) was designated to return from injured reserve Wednesday, but the Commanders will stick with Taylor Heinicke and Sam Howell as their top two quarterbacks for at least one more week, JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington reports.

EDGE Analysis

Wentz will return to practice Wednesday, perhaps with the goal of coming back for Week 13, or else after the Week 14 bye. The Commanders reportedly now view Taylor Heinicke as their starter, leaving Wentz in a backup role unless or until his teammate's performance leads to a benching.

The Commanders announced Wednesday that Wentz (finger) has been designated for return from injured reserve.

EDGE Analysis

The transaction opens up a 21-day window wherein Wentz can be evaluated in practice without counting toward the active roster. Once deemed healthy enough to play, Wentz is expected to settle in as the backup to Taylor Heinecke, barring an injury or poor performance from the latter that causes the Commanders to change their plans at quarterback. Wentz has been sidelined since undergoing surgery Oct. 17 to repair his right ring finger, and if he looks good during the team's three practices this week, he could be activated from IR in advance of this Sunday's game against the Falcons to replace Sam Howell as Heinicke's backup. While Wentz has been out of the lineup, Heinicke has led Washington to a 3-1 record as the starter.

Wentz (finger) is expected to serve as the Commanders' backup quarterback once he's activated from injured reserve, with Taylor Heinicke set to retain the starting job "unless something changes dramatically," Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

Wentz made enough progress in his recovery from Oct. 17 right ring finger surgery to resume throwing this week, but he hasn't yet been cleared for practice and will remain on IR for a fifth straight game when the Commanders take on the Texans on Sunday. Though Wentz could be available to play as soon as Week 12, the starting job will belong to Heinicke for the final seven games of the season so long as he doesn't miss time due to injury or doesn't see a dramatic downturn in performance in the weeks to come. While Heinicke hasn't posted eye-popping statistics in the absence of Wentz, he's helped lead the Commanders to a 3-1 record during his run as starter to keep the team in the thick of the NFC playoff race. In addition to Heinicke's respectable play, the Commanders are incentivized to keep Wentz on the bench due to the terms of his contract. As Ben Standig of The Athletic notes, if Wentz plays 70 percent of Washington's offensive snaps this season, it would result in the Commanders surrendering a 2023 second-round draft pick to the Colts rather than a third-round pick.

Wentz (finger) has resumed throwing but won't return to practice Wednesday, Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

Wentz hasn't been designated to return from injured reserve yet, and it may not happen this week given that the Commanders have already named Taylor Heinicke as their starter for Sunday's game in Houston. However, coach Ron Rivera didn't shut down the possibility of Wentz being active as the backup, and there's still some question about which guy will be the starter once both are at/near full strength. Jhabvala suggests the team is essentially putting off that decision for another week.