The Vikings Have a ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’
Everything changed for the Minnesota Vikings on Monday.
With turmoil at quarterback, the Minnesota Vikings’ season could bend in six directions, with three players in the mix to determine the outcome.
On top of approximately a dozen injuries, the team announced that quarterback J.J. McCarthy will hit the shelf with a high ankle sprain, disastrous news as McCarthy just began his real-time development the week prior.
The announcement set into motion a plethora of options at quarterback for the season’s remainder. So here’s a look at the “choose your own adventure” stakes.
McCarthy Out; Vikings QB Adventure Takes a Turn
Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer Are Now in the Mix
The ‘Carson Wentz Great Until McCarthy’ Plan
The first scenario, Wentz will take the reins of QB1 this Sunday and probably overseas for the Vikings in Week 4 and 5. In these three showdowns, Wentz will play similarly to Sam Darnold last year, delivering wins and production along the way.
However, when McCarthy is medically cleared to return, the Vikings put their foot down and hand the baton back to McCarthy, the man they’ve invested in for the long haul.
The ‘Wentz Stinks, Brosmer Takes Over Until McCarthy’ Plan
Next, the scenario where Wentz does not turn back the clock to 2017 or 2018, playing so poorly that the Vikings give undrafted free agent quarterback Max Brosmer a look.
Brosmer then starts for a game or two, keeping the seat warm for McCarthy, whom Minnesota re-assigns as QB1 the moment he’s ready.
The ‘Wentz Is Too Good to Bench’ Plan
This might be the one many folks expect.
Like Randall Cunningham in 1998 or Case Keenum in 2017, Wentz gets his mitts on the Vikings’ offense — and totally balls out.
He plays like Darnold last year, and by Week 7, when McCarthy is presumably ready to play, the Vikings issue the company line, “We are riding the hot hand with Carson,” and thus do not let McCarthy back into the lineup until further notice.
This one would create ample controversy for McCarthy’s long-term development.
The ‘Brosmer as Brock Purdy’ Plan
There’s a world where Wentz does not perform well, and before too long, head coach Kevin O’Connell switches to Brosmer, who looked great at training camp and in the preseason.
From there, Brosmer continues that summer momentum, leading Minnesota to wins and authoring his best Brock Purdy story.
McCarthy, for however long, would turn into Trey Lance while Minnesota remained committed to Brosmer, a University of Minnesota alumnus.
The ‘Wentz-Brosmer Average Until McCarthy’ Plan
Consider this one the most logical option.
Between Wentz and Brosmer, both players perform at an average level, keeping Minnesota afloat near a .500 record, but neither plays well enough to ignite enthusiasm for the long haul.
Through three games, Wentz and/or Brosmer produce around 4 touchdown passes and around 3 interceptions. Handing the QB1 scepter back to McCarthy is a no-brainer because neither Wentz nor Brosmer did much of anything other than play serviceably.
The ‘Everyone Stinks’ Plan
The worst-case scenario: Wentz isn’t good, and upon inserting Brosmer into the offense, he plays like an undrafted free-agent quarterback. Minnesota stacks losses, and with McCarthy back in a month or so, McCarthy’s still looks raw as a 22-year-old signal-caller.
No quarterback sets the world on fire, and Minnesota finishes around 5-12, with eyes on a Top 10 draft pick in April.
Kevin O’Connell on McCarthy’s Injury
O’Connell said about McCarthy’s high ankle sprain on Monday: “I believe it happened on the second-and-20 scramble where he was able to get towards our sideline and just kind of got rolled up. In the moment, didn’t necessarily think it was significant. When we came off after that series, there was somebody in the blue tent, so he was kind of evaluated right there and just got it taped up and went back in the game.”
“I think it’s one of those things, just hearing from our medical staff, one of those things that tends to be much worse today than it probably was in the moment to him with adrenaline and everything. But like I said, huge compliment to him for fighting through it and continuing to compete.”
The Vikings are 3.5-point favorites with Wentz presumably as QB1 to defeat the Bengals on Sunday.
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