It’s Time for the Vikings to End One Big Experiment
The Minnesota Vikings have a 3-3 record through seven weeks, right on the edge of making the year relatively exciting — or devolving into a lost season. With stakes in their current form, the club must end the Carson Wentz experiment. The veteran passer adds nothing to the Vikings’ long-term goals. Not a single bit of anything.
With the best intentions, the Minnesota Vikings tried an experiment at quarterback, and through four starts, it has not worked. It’s time to be done.
Wentz struggled profusely in Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, so much so that it became overly apparent that Minnesota must hand the baton to J.J. McCarthy if he’s fully healthy, and if McCarthy is not, let undrafted rookie Max Brosmer take a turn under center.
The Vikings Must Put a Bow on the Carson Wentz Trial
The man has timed out. Error messages galore. Return to the original plan. Don’t overthink it.
Carson Wentz Must Be Benched
Wentz delivered a pick-six versus the Eagles that basically ended his club’s quest for a victory. When playing a team like Philadelphia — the Super Bowl champions — the margin of error is paper-thin, and interceptions returned for touchdowns will sink the ship, almost every time.
Wentz has hit his ceiling in 2025. Every game under center, fans should and will expect the same thing — a man who drives the team downfield at times, creates a couple of humongous gaffes, and struggles in the redzone.
In fact, two of the Vikings’ touchdowns in the last two games arrived courtesy of other men under center: Cam Akers and Jordan Mason as faux quarterbacks. If a coach can’t trust a quarterback to personally guide the ball into the endzone inside the 20-yard line, it’s time for a quarterback alternative.
Wentz is 32. He will not suddenly circle the wagons and play differently. What you see is what you get. Oodles of passing yards, turnovers, mistakes, and missed reads in the passing game.
Backup quarterbacks aren’t necessarily designed to remain in the lineup for longer than a few games, and Wentz is proving why.
Roll with J.J. McCarthy in Week 8
It’s fully understandable that McCarthy’s high ankle sprain recovery may not be complete. It’s a four-to-six week injury and McCarthy is now in week 5 of the timeline.
Still, if he is “almost all the way” healthy, Minnesota should tab McCarthy to start. It’s his job. He must develop. McCarthy is gaining virtually nothing by watching from the sidelines. He did that for a whole year in 2024, and watching and learning for multiple seasons only works for a team like the Green Bay Packers. They’re like the only team that does it.
McCarthy said last week that his ankle isn’t 100%, though he would personally play if the coaching and training staff allowed. If his ankle is approximately 85% or better, the team should green-light his re-insertion in the lineup.
The clock is ticking. His maturation is crucial, and if the Vikings roll with him in Week 8 for the rest of the season, he’ll bank 13 games in his second season. Not bad.
If McCarthy’s Ankle Is Still Problematic, Hand the Scepter to Max Brosmer
What if McCarthy just isn’t healthy — if the coaching staff wholly refuses to play him on a short week of preparation? Give the damn ball to Brosmer.
Yes, Brosmer is an undrafted rookie quarterback, and yes, he could fire up a stinker at Los Angeles. Well, most already know that Wentz will provide his fair share of blunders. Let Brosmer make the blunders. Brosmer’s blunder are learning moments. Wentz’s blunders are bloopers for a mostly failed career tape.
Minnesota should be in the business of developing young quarterbacks for the rest of the season. Wentz is not young, and he is not developing. He’s old and is now a career-long QB2 with some decent moments to offer.
McCarthy or Brosmer — the Vikings should pick one and bench Wentz.
Four Games Is Enough
Wentz has seen action as the starter in four games. The sample is long enough. When the defense is rocking and rolling, ripping turnovers right and left, Wentz can win games against inferior opponents. Great. Many average signal-callers can do that.
He can also perhaps win when the rushing offense fires on all cylinders.
Through four starts, those team traits are not consistent. The Vikings need a quarterback to make a difference — not just put pepper on the food when Thanksgiving dinner is all ready to go. If they cannot find a quarterback to carry them to the postseason — like McCarthy or Brosmer — then the focus should turn solely to McCarthy’s development.
Let McCarthy finish the season with a 6-11 or 7-10 record. That brings growth. Wentz running the show to the tune of a 6-11 or 7-10 finish does absolutely nothing besides sweeten April’s draft pick.
End the Wentz experiment. Thankfully, it resulted in a 2-2 record.
You must be logged in to post a comment.