The Vikings’ QB Decision Isn’t Hard
We’re now five games into Minnesota’s 2025 campaign, and we’ve already seen three quarterbacks take snaps in addition to a beautiful trick play with Cam Akers in wildcat. Starter J.J. McCarthy is hurt, and it opened the door for Carson Wentz and a little QB controversy.
The Vikings’ QB Decision Isn’t Hard
Five weeks ago, McCarthy was the hero in a comeback win over the Chicago Bears, but it feels like that game took place two years ago. The sophomore had to watch Wentz pull off his own comeback in London, and although reports out of Eagan point to McCarthy returning as QB1, some are suggesting the Vikings should stick with the veteran until the wheels fall off.
McCarthy is neither helped by his injury history, which now includes a missed season due to a meniscus tear and a three-game absence with a sprained ankle, nor by his struggling play in seven of his first eight quarters.
Wentz hasn’t done anything special, but the offensive operation has been smoother with him in the game. It’s hard to say whether that is all on the quarterback or if the group has cleaned up some other stuff, too. The experience certainly helps, though.
In his three matchups, Wentz threw for 759 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. His PFF grade ranks him 28th among 36 eligible QBs, and he’s 11th in EPA/play+CPOE. His QBR ranks him 26th.
Wentz made his Vikings debut against the Cincinnati Bengals, in which Minnesota just rolled over the foes. In the blowout, the veteran wasn’t asked to make any big-time throws. When he was asked to make them against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Dublin premiere, he couldn’t. Despite 350 passing yards, Wentz had a poor game.
In London, with the Cleveland Browns on the opposing sideline, Wentz had an unspectacular game, but he completed all seven passes on the game-winning drive, including a touchdown to Jordan Addison.
After three games, Wentz has been a solid reserve. Games aren’t automatically lost when he’s on the field, and not every team can say that about its backup. However, the anecdotal summary and the statistics suggest that he’s not more than a good backup.
The signal-caller has operated a simplified offense, as he’s only been in the building for about seven weeks. Paired with the offensive line disaster, Kevin O’Connell dialed back the complexity. McCarthy, meanwhile, had the entire offense on his plate. That in itself can be criticized, but it needs to be mentioned to paint the whole picture. At some point — sooner rather than later — defenses will adjust and take away the rollouts and first reads; suddenly, Wentz could be in his usual panic mode.
It’s unlikely that Wentz can just unlock another gear. Sure, we’ve seen him play at a high level, but that was nearly a decade ago. He’s now 32 years old and has been a backup for a while. Does anyone really believe Wentz can lead the team to a Super Bowl victory?
Will McCarthy? He probably won’t, and it’s not outlandish to suggest that Wentz is the better QB right now. If the Vikings take a week-to-week approach, Wentz should start. But the correct long-term decision is to start McCarthy. He’s the more talented player (he flashed those skills in Week 1), and the ceiling is way higher. McCarthy reaching Wentz’s level at some point in two, five, or ten weeks isn’t too far-fetched, let alone in future years.
McCarthy’s main problem is the lack of reps. He didn’t collect as many passing reps in college as his peers, and he missed an entire season with his knee injury. Many of his struggles, in fact, can be attributed to inexperience.
And if he’s sitting on the bench, how can he gain that experience?
Long story short, McCarthy’s ceiling and Wentz’s middling play in an unsustainable offense should give McCarthy the nod.
McCarthy’s ankle, of course, is playing a role. If he’s not fully healthy, the Vikings won’t throw him out there. Wentz is dealing with a shoulder injury.
Assuming both are good to go, McCarthy should be the choice.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.