Vikings QB on the Mend after Surgery
On the road to recovery: that’s the latest and greatest from Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz, who injured his AC joint last month and eventually hit injured reserve a few weeks ago.
A Minnesota Vikings QB is on the mend after recent surgery, with recovery updates pointing to a steady return for 2026 and beyond.
Wentz posted a photo of himself in a sling this week, assuring fans that he will recover.
Vikings QB Carson Wentz Has Successful Shoulder Surgery
All told, Wentz started five games for the Vikings
Wentz on Instagram
Wentz is healing; the process has begun.
He posted on Instagram Tuesday, “Just trying to soak up this extra family time post surgery! Surgery went great, by the way. Road to recovery!”
Here’s the photo:
Last week, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters, “Carson Wentz had successful left shoulder surgery yesterday in LA. Hope to get him, he’ll be out there for a few days, and then hope to get him back. He’s planning on being back in the building when he returns, continuing his rehab there.”
Tuesday’s update was the first from Wentz post-surgery, so, indeed, everything went well.
His Body of Work This Season
Wentz held Minnesota’s season together with masking tape for five games, as the team bided its time for J.J. McCarthy’s return. Upon McCarthy’s reinsertion into the lineup, McCarthy has largely struggled, aside from a couple of clutch moments against the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears.
The wily veteran passer, Wentz, produced 1,216 passing yards in those five contests, with 6 touchdown passes and 5 interceptions. He did his job, though it wasn’t always smooth sailing.
Wentz also played through the AC joint injury, a decision that landed him a spot in Vikings lore forever. He’s a tough son of a gun.
A Free Agent in March
Wentz’s next stop is free agency in March. Late in the summer, he signed a one-year deal in Minnesota, and beside the shoulder injury, the gamble paid off quite well, enabling the 32-year-old to strut his stuff one more time and display his skill set for other teams.
Any NFL team can sign Wentz in March. So long as his shoulder heals without hiccups, he should find work as a QB2 in about four months.
He’s not a high-end QB2, but he’s rosterable.
Back with the Vikings?
Wentz could also reunite with the Vikings. There’s a world — it might feel unlikely at the moment — where McCarthy turns the corner and puts some of his passing accuracy demons to bed in the season’s final seven games. If so, Minnesota could re-sign Wentz for QB2 duty once again. He played well enough to get a sequel in Minnesota if the primary QB1 is cooking.
On the other hand, if McCarthy does not improve and looks terrible in the next two months, the Vikings may need a QB1 alternative, which Wentz won’t really offer at his age and current performance caliber.
PurplePTSD on Wentz
Kyle Joudry at our affiliate site wrote about Wentz last week, “On December 30th, Carson Wentz is going to turn 33. Normal people see that number as being quite youthful. Not so in the NFL. Creeping up into one’s 30s is a telltale sign that one’s football career is getting pretty close to its end. Wentz understands this reality as well as anyone.”
“Minnesota isn’t going to move on from J.J. McCarthy. What’s needed is sturdy depth. Max Brosmer appears to be part of the solution as an upside rookie who works very hard and who has a strong relationship with McCarthy. Building around those two isn’t the worst situation in the world even if both have much to prove.”
Wentz’s signature moment? A game-winning touchdown pass to Jordan Addison in London.
“What’s needed is a veteran who can shepherd the young fellas. Currently, John Wolford — affectionately called a ‘psycho’ by Minnesota’s offensive coordinator — is offering this ability as an older passer who helps with the intellectual side of the game,” Joudry continued.
“Wentz over Wolford is a debate for a different day (which is to say nothing of the various other veterans who will venture into free agent flirtations in March of 2026), but the idea is nevertheless important: how will Minnesota support a young QB room moving forward? Carson Wentz isn’t going to be a starter anytime soon. Getting healthy, though, could mean being a solid QB2. Maybe that job continues being open with the Vikings.”
Minnesota will face a grim salary cap budget in 2026 because of 2025 spending.
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