Vikings Sign Wentz to Crowd the Purple QB Room
Vikings Territory Breakdown Podcast
Last week, the Minnesota Vikings signed former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray for the league minimum of around $1.3 million. This week, they resigned their backup QB, Carson Wentz, for a reported $3 million (fully guaranteed). And they already have J.J. McCarthy under contract for around $6 million in 2026 (fully guaranteed). So, that comes to three “veteran” QBs for around $10.5 million. On paper, that appears to be some pretty good ROI.
If it all works.
But for now, during the offseason, the Wentz signing raises a number of questions. Certainly, it makes sense for Wentz (on the back nine of his career) to resign with the team he grew up following and rooting for. But what does it mean for the Vikings—and in particular one third-year QB names J.J. McCarthy? There are those who believe his days are numbered in Minnesota (we, here, are not among them).
Some have speculated that this is the Vikings course correcting for last season’s mistake of handing the keys to J.J. without a solid backup plan behind him. They chose not to resign Sam Darnold (defending Super Bowl champion Sam Darnold, that is) and then swung and missed on Daniel Jones, ultimately scrambling to get Wentz in the room behind McCarthy. All this reportedly led to the team’s former GM getting the ax, and the Vikings brass are dead-set against repeating last season’s QB situation and are determined to create a better QB room in 2026.
Well, did they? Only time will tell. Unless you want to hear the fellas at the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast—Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com, and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com—speculate on it all. Tune in and check it all out. Skol!
Listen to Vikings Territory Breakdown Podcast here or on your favorite podcast network.
