Here's how Carson Wentz's former quarterback coach convinced Frank Reich to bring Wentz to the Colts

Press Taylor had an influence on getting Wentz to the Colts

Carson Wentz just came off the worst season of his career, leading to the one-time franchise quarterback to be traded from the Philadelphia Eagles. Wentz has a fresh start with the Indianapolis Colts, reunited with Frank Reich and plenty of familiar faces from when he was succeeding with the Eagles. 

Press Taylor, the former Eagles quarterbacks coach and now a senior offensive assistant with the Colts, has been with Wentz since the beginning in Philadelphia. He knew all the struggles Wentz went through with the Eagles in 2020, causing many in the industry to question if Wentz is still good enough to be a starting quarterback in the league. 

There is no doubt in Taylor's mind Wentz can still succeed, as he played a major role in the QB heading from Philadelphia to Indianapolis. Reich asked Taylor if he still believed in Wentz and the answer was a simple one. 

"That was a no-brainer for me," Taylor said, via the Colts website. "I absolutely believe in Carson Wentz as a player. There were a variety of things that went on last year that made it hard. We didn't do anything well as an offense, as a team. You win four games, there's a lot to look back and say things didn't go well for us. Certainly everything around him didn't go well and I think he would tell you he didn't play his best last season."

Wentz completed a career-low 57.4% of his passes for 2,620 yards with 16 touchdowns and a league-high 15 interceptions and a 72.8 passer rating last season. He was benched by the Eagles in a Week 13 loss to the Green Bay Packers and never reemerged as a starter. Wentz was a completely different player than the one who completed 64.4% of his passes with 81 touchdowns to 21 interceptions and a 98.3 passer rating from 2017 to 2019 -- establishing himself as a top-10 quarterback in the league. 

Taylor thinks Wentz can get back to that level -- and possibly better with his coaching staff back in tow. 

"The four years before that you saw what he's capable of as a quarterback,' Taylor said. "You saw overcoming adversity, you saw when he had talented players around him, when maybe the pieces were lesser than at times and the way he could play and elevate those around him."