4 Cool Wrinkles of the Carson Wentz Signing
On Sunday, the Vikings had a busy day. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah traded Sam Howell to the Philadelphia Eagles after his underwhelming preseason performance. To find a new backup signal-caller, the GM used free agency and found Carson Wentz. Once a controversial starter in the league for various teams, Wentz is now a journeyman backup at 32 years of age.
4 Cool Wrinkles of the Carson Wentz Signing
Wentz brings the required experience the Vikings wanted to have in J.J. McCarthy’s backup, with 94 career starts under his belt. Are there any other reasons why the addition was sweet?
1. Offensive Familiarity
Kevin O’Connell is a Sean McVay disciple, working under him for a couple of years as the offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams. His offense is close enough to McVay’s to call it similar.
Guess where Wentz spent his 2023 season? The former second overall draft choice (the Rams actually passed on him for Jared Goff) was Matthew Stafford’s backup that year and picked up McVay’s offense. That should lead to a smooth transition in the Twin Cities.
Cheap Deal
Tom Pelissero reported Sunday, “From a financial perspective, this is essentially a wash for Minnesota: Sam Howell was due $1.1 million in the last year of his rookie contract, while Carson Wentz is expected to sign a minimum deal, which is worth $1.255 million for veterans this year.”
The Vikings got a backup quarterback for only $1.255 million. Just for comparison, Joshua Dobbs, Jameis Winston, Andy Dalton, and Davis Mills make at least $4 million a year, and Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson, Tyrod Taylor, and Jacoby Brissett earn at least $6 million. Marcus Mariota signed for $8 million.
Perhaps Wentz isn’t as good as some of those guys, but even that’s debatable; he surely isn’t that much worse.
Reunion with Old Friends
In Minnesota, Wentz will meet some old companions. When he was the starting quarterback of the Eagles in 2019 and 2020, his backup was Josh McCown. McCown is now Minnesota’s QB coach and will spend some time in the meeting room with his old teammate. Ironically, McCown was also Sam Darnold’s teammate during his playing days, and that relationship worked quite well last season.
In his time with the Colts, Wentz received snaps from center Ryan Kelly, who signed with the Vikings in free agency. Guard Will Fries, another new Viking, appeared in three games for the Colts that year, and even cornerback Isaiah Rodgers got to know Wentz, although they only shared the field in practice.
Vikings Fan Growing up
Adam Thielen is a hot topic in Vikings rumors for good reason. The man grew up in Minnesota and was a Vikings fan growing up. The latter item can be said about Wentz, too. Wentz was born in North Carolina, and his family moved to Bismarck, North Dakota, when he was three. The geographical proximity apparently turned him into a Vikings fan.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.