1-on-1 with Carson Wentz | Episode 32

camp and building chemistry with his teammates. Carson, We've been waiting to have you come join us a couple of days now into practice, a couple of times with the pads on not your first rodeo though, first time here with Washington. How is this process for you? Trying to learn a new offense, learn new guys and as camp kind of like ramps up each day to get more familiar, to get that chemistry down. It's fun, honestly. I mean

it's a lot of work. It's it's a grind, as you guys know, but it's a lot of fun too. Coming together. You're building a culture, you're building a kind of a family. You're building that bond, and the only way to do that is out on the field by going through the hot mornings together, by going through it together. I think OTAs was big and kind of developing some of those relationships, but now this um just kind of

takes it to the next level. So it's been fun getting to know the guys, getting to know the playbook. Feel pretty good in a good place with it as well. We're not gonna be perfect out there, but that's why we're out here, you know. You're working on that chemistry, that timing, and it's been a fun process. Everybody wants you to be perfect though this early on, like you've been through enough camps to understand that it does take time. Where where are you in feeling that you're getting closer

to that? Though? Yeah, I feel good about it, you know, I mean I want it to be perfect too, you know, I'm kind of a perfectionist. So you miss a throw, or you miss a read or this or that and kind of kick yourself, but it's like, hey, it's still early. It's still early, and it's a process, so you can you know, the mistakes that happen are often good because you can go in there and you can watch this film together and talk about it and be like, hey, this is what I was expecting or this is what

I was seeing, and then you can fix it. You can fix it and learn from those mistakes, and that's that's normal. But at the same time, I wanted to go, well, I want it to be perfect, and so I have high expectations every practice and so do the guys around here, which is really cool because we hold everybody accountable and in those high expectations. But yeah, it's not gonna be perfect getting and we realize that being that you have

a chance. You had a chance actually to have a moment like umen right now last year going to Endy having to play in learn that system. I'm not sure how much you had to learn because you had the coach so that was familiar, you know, territory with you. But you're better in this game. Do you ever feel there's going to be a time where you're more comfortable

than the other times? For our quarterbacks always kind of playing with their back against the wall and just saying, hey, I gotta go out here and make the knicks down better than the last. Yeah, that's a great question, And honestly, you try and not be complacent. I guess you're always trying to get better. You're always trying to learn a little nuances or just understand the concept of a play.

As best as you can versus every single coverage, you know, And I think this year it's been probably a bigger transition in learning a playbook for me, different system, different style. But the OTAs was huge for that, you know, the last couple of years, I haven't had an OTAs with COVID and everything going on. So we're coming in here

in April and May and June. Was huge for me to to understand this playbook and then go through the summer and study it and then come in here feeling good about it, you know, and coming out here and executing it. And so right now I feel like it's in a good place, but I'm always striving to get better and then understand it even more. You mentioned, you know, having the OTAs this year, but also one thing that you did is you went out to California last month

or a week with your Scale guys. How big was that in terms of developing chemistry with those guys not only on the field but off the field. And it was also your first time being able to work with Terry McLaurin. Yeah, it's a lot of fun. You know, I've done that for a while now over the years in each place I've been, and it's one of my favorite things honestly, because I mean the work is great on the field, work is great, and you know, we're

trying to learn each other. It's that's fun. Everybody's working all summer. But it's the it's the chemistry off the field. It's understanding where everyone comes from, what's their background, look like, what do we like to eat, you know, what do we like to do. I'm just getting to know them,

getting around them, um was really beneficial for me. It looks even more different this year now, being almost thirty and you know, it's a pretty young skill group and so for me, I'm like the old guy out there, which is a little bit new for me. But it was a lot of fun. I'm just getting around them and doing something different off the field. Will that be something that that you continue. I remember my years of

playing here, the way we did it on Thursdays. You know, we would gather up and go eat together offensively, and then the defense quote on some of the some of the you know skill guys quote on and say, hey, we're gonna go have you know, dinner with you guys. Is that something that you would do with the receivers or just offensive linement, you name it, just picks and guys said, Hey, we're gonna go eat somewhere. Yeah, because

I feel like that builds a lot of chemistry. You know, I planned too, and I've done that in other places I've been, and it's been really cool to get off the field and go bond, whether it's a somebody's houses, go to the restaurant, all those things, and whether that's when we're traveling, you know, the four games, we're on a Thursday or on an off day. Um, it's it's been really beneficial I've seen over the years. And then

continue to look forward to continue to do that. What's up at things that you have done as a jokes to that. I don't think I'm a jokes are necessarily but you know, you know it's hard out here. It's it's a grind right and everyone can take it very seriously, which I do on the field, no doubt. But um, at the same time, you want to keep it light. You want to remember this is a game. This is supposed to be fun, and when you're having fun and playing fast, it's a lot more enjoyable. It's a lot

more enjoyable. And you're playing a lot more free, and so I like to keep it light and um, just have fun with the guys and um, you know, I think that's something as I've as I've grown as a man as well, and just being a veteran guy, you see a different perspective here and you know what it's like to be in their shoes and how it's it's very stressful and it's very there's a lot, especially as a rookie, there's a lot on your plate. As a guy like him who's getting a lot of first team

reps right now, um and continues to show up. There's a lot of coaches, a lot of boys, a lot of things, and so I just want to build them up and keep it light with them at the same time. And so I've been fun developing that relationship with him. For sure. It's definitely important to remember that it is supposed to be fun. I mean, because it does get heavy. It is a grind, it is hot out here. But also you've got to be able to get in sync

with these guys too. You're just kind of learning. Terry McLaurin. Everybody loves him here in Washington, John Dotson coming and Curtis. Samuel's a player that we've been waiting to see him on the field and what he can do. How are you feeling like assessing their different talents and what they can bring to this offense, especially with the skill set that you have of being able to take advantage and maybe some of that speed that they have to stretch

the field. I mean, that's the first thing you notice, without a doubt, is their speed. I Mean, they're all a little different in the sense, but one thing they all have is speed in their quickness and the ability to threaten a defense deep quick and I think that's so huge for our offense and how we want to attack defense, is whether they're getting the ball or not, they're just making such an impact and getting the tight ends open, getting the running backs open, and opening up

the run game, you name it. And so that'll be huge, that'll be huge for us. And then just learning what they each do well. You know, Curtis a guy with the ball in his hand and it's so dangerous. You've seen over the years. Johan just a supernatural route runner, catches the ball supernaturally. Terry, you know, we've seen him for years. It was on the other side, seeing him when he was a rookie when I was in Philly light us up then, and so everyone knows what he

can do, what he brings to the table. So it's been fun getting to know. They all do a lot of similar things well, but they all have you know, their their niches as well and what they do, and so it's been fun getting to know him, and I look forward to seeing how Coach Turner's going to kind of use them to make a dynamic offense with them, speaking of, you know, utilizing your skill guys and all the talents that they have. We know it's not gonna

always beat pieces and cream on the field. As a quarterback, you get you have to show them more of the blame. You know, as a receiver, if we drop a pass, that's all we're dealing with. You're dealing with a little more. You're not a guy that had to play defense, but you have to score touchdowns. You have to lead the team. How do you kind of uh block the noise? Yeah, I know how I'll deal with it. I didn't watch TV, I didn't listen to the radio. I did my job.

What is it takes for a guy like yourself as a quarterback, being the lead of being a CEO of this organization, on this franchise. How do you do or what you do without hearing too much of the noise? Yeah, I mean the same thing. You know. I don't watch TV if it is it's on the golf channel, you know, smart man. I don't listen to the radio. It's it's music, you know, it's podcasts, it's different things. But for me, my faith, my faith, it just keeps me grounded and

keeps me center. It allows me to remember there's a bigger picture, you know, trusting the Lord through it all and just knowing that I trust him and I know what my identity is in him, and so it doesn't really matter what people say, think or feel about me as long as I'm right with God. So that keeps me grounding. My family, my two little girls, and I go home and see them, my wife, they don't care if I threw five touchdowns my pix. They love me for being dad, you know. And so all those things

keep me grounded and try and keep me folks. But at the same time, I'm striving every day to be the best. You'll be the best I can be in and I hold myself to those high expectations, so I don't need to hear from other people outside because there's there's no need for that. I already put a lot of pressure on myself to be the best. But those are the things that really keep me ground and keep them focusing. Part of part of the training cap is the trash talk of the competitive you know spirit that

takes place between the offense and the defense. And you mentioned whether you throw up five test stiles or five interceptions. You threw a couple of interceptions during training camp this week. And the defense, I know they're gonna be chirping and doing those types of things. Are you a trash talk I played against Tom Brady, he was a major trash talker. Peyton Manny would talk a little bit. What's you know? I didn't say anything. Do you talk a little trains out? Really?

I'm not really unless somebody, you know, rose me the wrong way. And you know, you can do subtle things some jobs, a little a little bit here and there, maybe on the practice field, especially when a dB wants to keep chirping, Yeah, you'll throw it at him a little bit. But I try to just let the play du the talking for the most part, but every now and then you'll get into mix. Right. We kind of talk early on a camp too that the defense usually

is a little bit ahead of the offense. So they always say that, come to that point, though, let me ask me, like, where's our defense? Yeah? So far. I mean you've got you've got some big bodies coming at you, putting a lot of pressure on you. You got everybody's talking about how our secondary's communicating more and really kind of locking down. What are you seeing? Yeah, I mean

it's it's a great defense. You know. I've played against a handful of those guys for a few years a couple of years ago, and the D line was always the first thing that stuck out back then, and it's still the first thing that sticks out now. The guys in the trenches obviously missing chase out there right now, but the guys in the trenches on the D line, you know, set the tone and you can kind of

see that at practice. But I've been impressed with the entire defense, the secondary flying around, some of those guys, newer faces that I haven't competed against before. Been really impressed with the way they communicate, the way they fly around and what coaches kind of doing the schemes he's mixing up back there. It's exciting to see and it's making us a lot better because they give us a great look. Every single time Iron Shop resigns. They're gonna

be all right. You know. We are also talking about like durn Payne getting back there and if you want to be like yo, dude, come on, give me give me a secranchise, no no touching card. Look that that's it. That said what everybody's wanting seeing. Excited to really kind of see this, come together, to have your moment, have your day and uh, you know, over the years we're always kind of like it's Terry, Terry Terry. Now you

have the chance to spread that ball around. So I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of different options out there. It's going to be here before we know what. Folks, um, thanks for joining us Carson for all your news and analysis. Be sure to tune into Command Center weeknights at five thirty ten pm on NBC Sports Washington. You can also stream on YouTube and Commanders dot Com. Hail to the Commanders