Vikings Evidently Have a New Coach
It may not be overly official, but the Minnesota Vikings have a new coach.
The Vikings evidently have a faux new coach, with a veteran presence stepping into a leadership role that’s shaping how the team prepares in 2025.
His name? Carson Wentz or Coach Wentz.
QB1 J.J. McCarthy referred to Wentz, a newcomer to the roster, by that title this week, and the man apparently has a vast wealth of knowledge.
A Faux New Coach Is in the Mix for the Vikings
He’s the QB2 and has versatility.
J.J. McCarthy Calls Carson Wentz … His Coach
Take it from QB1’s lips. McCarthy was asked on Wednesday if he felt prepared for his Monday Night Football debut in Chicago, and he replied affirmatively.
“Extremely prepared. Most prepared I’ve felt in my life. Obviously, we still got to get third down, red zone, all that stuff in, but I feel like, just talking to Coach Wentz, Carson, he’s breaking down when he was going through his first start, and when he was playing at Soldier Field at night and just first games, you never know what you’re going to get,” McCarthy said.
“So you could prepare as much as you want, but they could do a completely different thing. The most important thing is just staying locked in to the simple things, locked in to what my job is that play, and then reacting to what the defense is giving me. But very prepared and very confident.”
And just like that, McCarthy provided a peek behind the scenes.
The Experience Is There
Wentz has started 94 games in the NFL, attached to the company since the start of 2016, when the Philadelphia Eagles used the second overall pick on the North Dakota State alumnus.
Here’s his resume to date:
- Philadelphia Eagles (2016–2020)
- Indianapolis Colts (2021)
- Washington Commanders (2022)
- Los Angeles Rams (2023)
- Kansas City Chiefs (2024)
- Minnesota Vikings (2025–now)
Wentz reached the Pro Bowl in 2017, a campaign spoiled by a season-ending injury. The man even earned MVP attention that season. By 2020, however, the sizzle around Wentz faded, and the Eagles eventually veered in another direction, handing the baton to Jalen Hurts, which netted a Super Bowl win eight months ago.
Recent QB2 Clarity
Meanwhile, the Vikings released a regular season depth chart this week, and after a few debates among fans, Wentz earned the QB2 job outright.
Minnesota soured on QB2 Sam Howell over the summer after acquiring him in a trade during the 2025 NFL Draft. Wentz remained on the open market as a free agent, and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed him following a trade with those same Eagles, shipping Howell to the NFC East.
If something happens to McCarthy, according to the depth chart, Wentz will be the next man up.
Max Brosmer in the Mix, Too
The aforementioned debates involved Max Brosmer, an undrafted free agent quarterback from the University of Minnesota. The Vikings signed him in late April, and most onlookers didn’t think much of the transaction.
Fast forward to training camp and the preseason, and Brosmer yanked the summer by the throat. He arguably won the mythological Mr. Mankato award while consistently delivering big-time throws in all three preseason games.
This season, Brosmer will be the QB3 behind McCarthy and Coach Wentz.
More on Wentz
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote about Wentz’s arrival last week, “Wentz, meanwhile, was the Vikings’ response to Howell’s underwhelming efforts to learn the Vikings offense and establish trust as a viable option behind McCarthy.”
“Trading Howell to the Philadelphia Eagles essentially recovered the draft assets the Vikings had used to acquire him from the Seattle Seahawks during the draft, but in the end his four months in Minnesota left the team in a bind. Wentz has some experience in a similar scheme, having spent 2023 as a backup for coach Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams.”
Wentz has appeared in one playoff game throughout his career, throwing just four passes along the way.
Seifert added, “On his sixth team in as many seasons, he has been through schematic crash courses before. But he made clear upon his arrival that his task in the short term will be challenging. Acquiring a presumptive No. 2 quarterback two weeks before the first game of the regular season is far from ideal team building.”
“But the Vikings pulled off a similar maneuver in 2022 when they added Nick Mullens as Kirk Cousins’ backup three weeks before the start of the season, and O’Connell did not appear worried this week about the short- or long-term implications. Ultimately, the Vikings arrived at the NFL’s end-of-summer pause with a roster that needed more than a tuneup. Was it enough?”
Coach Wentz and the Vikings are favored by 1.5 points over the Chicago Bears this Monday.
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