The Tantalizing Wrinkle Thrown into the Minnesota Vikings’ QB Situation
The Minnesota Vikings are heading into the weekend without their starting QB J.J. McCarthy.
The injury came during a Week 2 game against the Atlanta Falcons in which McCarthy did not have a great game, but he wasn’t helped by multiple injuries on the offensive line. McCarthy is officially out for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals and could miss anywhere from 2-4 weeks because of his high ankle sprain.
As a result, the Vikings now turn to Carson Wentz, and it could result in a big question being thrown the Vikings way in the next month.
The Minnesota Vikings’ QB Wrinkle
The question is simple: what if Carson Wentz simply is good?
Consider that Kevin O’Connell has earned a reputation as a “QB whisperer” in the NFL. During Matthew Stafford’s first season with the Los Angeles Rams, and O’Connell as the offensive coordinator, the team immediately won a Super Bowl.
Then, during O’Connell’s first season as head coach of the Vikings, he coached Kirk Cousins to arguably his best season as a pro as the Vikings went 13-4 and won the NFC North.
2023 saw plenty of adversity thrown O’Connell’s way as Justin Jefferson missed seven games due to injury, and Cousins tore his Achilles in Week 8. O’Connell won back-to-back games with Josh Dobbs at quarterback before the Vikings suffered a downward spiral down the stretch. Despite starting four different quarterbacks, they still finished 7-10.
And finally, 2024 saw O’Connell turn Sam Darnold from a journeyman QB on his last legs of an NFL career into an MVP candidate as the Vikings went 14-3.
Wentz certainly hasn’t had bright moments in recent years as Sunday will mark the sixth team he has started for in the past six years, but it isn’t as if the veteran has zero talent as a quarterback.
During his second season in the NFL, Wentz was the leader for MVP in 2017 before suffering a torn ACL that ended his year. He threw for 3296 yards, 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions over 13 games. Then, after suffering a stress fracture in 2018, he came back in 2019 to throw for 4039 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
As recently as 2021, Wentz threw for 3563 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions for a 9-8 Colts team. There is certainly talent in Wentz’s bones.
If Wentz were to win the next two or three games for the Vikings, a feasible task against a Joe Burrow-less Bengals, the Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers, what would Minnesota do when McCarthy is healthy again? Do they turn things back over to McCarthy, or do they continue to ride a hot hand in Wentz?
Obviously, there are a few caveats to that question as there are to many. Christian Darrisaw has yet to make a start in 2025, and if he is able to return to the field this weekend and beyond, it would make things easier on Wentz behind much better play at left tackle.
Minnesota has also dealt with key injuries on defense as Harrison Smith has not played yet this year, and both Andrew Van Ginkel and Jeff Okudah missed Week 2.
On one hand, the Vikings would like to see what they have in McCarthy regardless of what Wentz is able to do, but on the other, Minnesota is clearly all-in on winning over the next couple of years after some big splash signings in free agency and major price tags limiting their ability to further build out their roster.
We obviously need to see Wentz take the field before we can even consider any answers to the question of who is Minnesota’s starting quarterback for the rest of the year, but it is an interesting one to ponder.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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