Carson Wentz’s Vikings Deal Is Raising Eyebrows
The Minnesota Vikings largely kept continuity in their quarterback room while adding Kyler Murray to shake things up.
Carson Wentz was signed to a one-year contract and it has sparked a debate about his job in the Twin Cities. Without Kevin O’Connell’s explanation of the move, all Vikings fans can do is take guesses.
On Saturday, a new clue dropped when his salary was reported.
Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune posted on social media, “Carson Wentz got a one-year, $3 million deal from the #Vikings, with a $1.1M signing bonus and fully guaranteed $1.545M base salary. He gets a $100K workout bonus, and up to $255K in per-game roster bonuses. Deal includes $200K of likely-to-be-earned incentives. Total cap hit is $3.05M.”
It’s not starter money, but it’s also not the typical QB3 deal.
Last season, Wentz made $1,422,500 in his few months with the Vikings and it’s more than the pay he received from the Rams in 2023 and from the Chiefs in 2024.
Ex-NFL quarterback Chase Daniel commented, “Vikings aren’t giving Carson Wentz $3M to be a QB3…”
His conclusion is that J.J. McCarthy is available for a trade while Wentz and Murray are the QB duo in Minnesota. Wentz would certainly be one of the most prominent QB3s in the business, as most teams rely on young developmental passers. Having a notable QB3 is unusual but not unheard of.
The Eagles have just acquired Andy Dalton in a trade and still employ promising but unproven backup Tanner McKee and starter Jalen Hurts. Will Levis is presumably the QB3 in Tennessee behind Cam Ward and Mitchell Trubisky.
And former Viking Case Keenum is the third option in Chicago, sharing the room with Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent. Keenum has been a third QB for years. Prior to his stint in Chicago, he was stashed behind C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills in Houston.
With the Bears, he just signed a two-year deal worth $5.5 million, putting his salary in Wentz’s range, which proves that Minnesota paying Wentz that much to be QB3 wouldn’t be a crazy outlier.
From a Vikings standpoint, it simply makes sense to have a reliable QB3 on the roster, with McCarthy and Murray both entering the 2026 season with lengthy injury histories and after providing uneven play in 2025. Kevin O’Connell had to turn to the QB3 on the roster twice in his four-year coaching stint. Jaren Hall and Max Brosmer started four games under his watch.
Wentz started five games with the Vikings last season, resulting in a 2-3 record. His squad triumphed over the Cincinnati Bengals in one of the best defensive games in NFL history and Wentz led a game-winning drive in London to beat the Cleveland Browns. Games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Philadelphia Eagles were lost.
The passer recorded 6 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Compared to McCarthy before his late-season improvements and Brosmer in his two starts, Wentz looked like a competent quarterback, but the offense’s ceiling with him under center leaves room for an upgrade.
Does Wentz’s salary reveal anything about Minnesota’s desire to keep working with McCarthy? Probably not.
In all likelihood, Wentz is a depth move, not viewed as the answer to any questions beyond “who’s our QB if Murray and McCarthy are unavailable or struggle?”
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert said after the Wentz debate had already kicked off: “It doesn’t move the needle on whether the team ultimately moves on from J.J. McCarthy. It’s about avoiding the depth emergencies they encountered in 2023 and 2025.”
The Vikings aren’t making a statement with Carson Wentz—they’re buying insurance.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.