Carson Wentz Sweetens the Pot for Sunday
The Carson Wentz era, even if it’s a short-term arrangement, will begin in Minneapolis on Sunday.
The Minnesota Vikings will trot out Carson Wentz at quarterback this Sunday, and he’s more than ready to try on the Vikings for size.
Minnesota takes on the Cincinnati Bengals, and Wentz went out of his way this week to mention his ardor for the Vikings as a kid on Wednesday.
It’s a bit of a homecoming for the 32-year-old.
Vikings to Start Carson Wentz — and The Man Is Thrilled
Wentz will fill in until J.J. McCarthy returns.
Carson Wentz Acknowledges Excitement Stemming from Childhood Vikings Fandom
For a long time, as a lad, Wentz cheered for the Vikings. Full stop. He was later drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles after a successful collegiate career at North Dakota State, but the man had purple blood for NFL fandom.
He told reporters on Wednesday, “I grew up rooting for this team. It’s one of those things, when you play long enough, you kind of forget about those things. Running out of that tunnel this week will probably hit me a little bit different.”
So, if you needed a sweet storyline to motivate you after the loss of McCarthy, there you go.
He’s the Man in the Arena on Sunday
Wentz has essentially hopped from gig to gig over the last half-decade, and Minnesota is merely the latest stop, signed by the Vikings at the end of the summer when the team realized that Sam Howell didn’t have the juice for QB2.
He’ll get his one big shot on Sunday to fulfill his childhood dream and create a full-circle moment for his career.
With no one nipping at his heels unless he plays terribly, Wentz is the unabashed starting quarterback for the Vikings in Week 3. It’s his chance.
A Team Desperately Needing Offensive Revival
The Vikings’ offense is in the toilet — rare territory for a team led by Kevin O’Connell. It has showcased one productive quarter. The 4th in Chicago during Week 1.
While Wentz can’t possibly waltz into the lineup and morph into a Pro Bowler, he can reasonably move the ball down the field, and Minnesota will expect that of him on Sunday afternoon.
The unit ranks 30th per DVOA through two games, just a dastardly mark for a team that has Justin Jefferson on its roster. It’s a long way of saying that the franchise needs Wentz’s A-game.
J.J. McCarthy Week to Week
How long Wentz stays in the lineup as a starter is unclear. He could fill in for a game while McCarthy returns across the pond in Week 4.
McCarthy could rest for three to four contests, and Wentz could control the offense until Week 8 when Minnesota plays the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football. It’s all up in the air for Wentz — and McCarthy — as the Vikings mitigate the 22-year-old’s high ankle sprain.
In Eagan on Wednesday, McCarthy wore a walking boot on his ankle, so his return doesn’t feel incredibly imminent.
Other Wentz Takes
New York Post‘s Christian Arnold noted on Wentz this week, “Carson Wentz could make some history on Sunday if J.J. McCarthy can’t start for the Vikings when they host the Bengals. McCarthy’s status is up in the air after he suffered a high ankle sprain against the Falcons last weekend, putting Wentz potentially in line to take on Cincy.”
“If Wentz starts, it would make him the first quarterback in NFL history to have started a game for six different organizations in six straight seasons, according to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell. Beginning in 2020, Wentz has played for the Eagles (2020), Colts (2021), Commanders (2022), Rams (2023) and Chiefs (2024), with the Vikings potentially being the sixth team in that stretch.”
Oddsmakers trust Wentz and the Vikings at home: they’re favored to defeat the Bengals by two or three points.
Arnold continued, “The 32-year-old was the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and spent his first five seasons in the league with the Eagles before becoming a journeyman. McCarthy suffered his injury during the third quarter in the Vikings’ 22-6 loss to the Falcons, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters on Monday.”
“It happened on a second-and-20 play where the Vikings QB scrambled and was hit by linebacker Kaden Elliss from behind. McCarthy was evaluated on the sideline and did finish the game, but he reported heavy soreness on Monday. O’Connell called it ‘crushing’ to hear about the injury to McCarthy on Monday and insisted it had nothing to do with his performance.”
Wentz has faced the Bengals twice as a starter since 2016, and his teams are 0-1-1 in those showdowns along the way.
You must be logged in to post a comment.