Sam Ehlinger, Jacob Eason battle for important QB spot in Week 2 NFL preseason

With Carson Wentz continuing to recover from a foot injury, neither Sam Ehlinger or Jacob Eason were able to take advantage and prove one is better than the other in the second preseason game. It is unclear whether Wentz will be ready to go for Week 1 of the regular season but if he is unable to suit up, this is an incredibly important position battle to watch over the next few weeks.

Sam Ehlinger and Jacob Eason Week 2 preseason stats

Ehlinger - 8/13, 70 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT, 2 carries, 11 yards
Eason - 16/27, 132 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 1 carry, 3 yards

Analysis

Heading into Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, head coach Frank Reich had said he’d like to name a winner of this QB battle prior to their final preseason game next week, but neither player showed a ton of excitement in this one. Eason likely has the slight edge in his second season as a pro over Ehlinger, who was a sixth round draft pick this spring. Hopefully for the Colts, Wentz can get healthy over the next few weeks and line up under center for the first regular season game of his tenure with the franchise.

Fantasy implications

Regardless of who starts at quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts if Wentz isn’t unable to go, Eason and Ehlinger are not worthy of roster spots in standard leagues. The bigger fantasy implications from this are what will happen to the other skill positions. Jonathan Taylor would figure to get a ton of carries, but it would be interesting to see how effective he would be in this scenario as defenses likely wouldn’t have too much respect for the passing game. The early-season fantasy impact of Colts pass catchers would certainly take a hit.