The Vikings QB Twist Few Foresee
If Carson Wentz returns, the Vikings QB situation will be some mixture of confusing and compelling.
At 33, Wentz is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, a truth that’s even more relevant since he isn’t aging like Matthew Stafford. The widespread expectation is that a significant talent will be added to the quarterback room. But while that’s nearly locked-in as a certainty, could Wentz nevertheless be given the chance to shoot for the starter’s job?
Carson Wentz as the Vikings QB Twist
Across five games, Wentz went 2-3 while leading the Vikings.
The final statistics are humble. Wentz offered Minnesota a 65.1% completion rate to stand alongside 1,216 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. Worth noting, of course, that the passer had to play with a shoulder injury that would eventually end his season due to needing surgery. Could full health — which is to say nothing of a full offseason since he got signed in late August — help Wentz to shine more brightly as a Vikings QB?
Admittedly, the turn to Wentz alone would be underwhelming.
Indeed, there needs to be more than just Wentz within that quarterback room. J.J. McCarthy showed strong improvement through the 2025 regular season but spent too much time in the infirmary to be overly confident in him alone for 2026. Meanwhile, Max Brosmer offers the attributes that a team covets in a backup — high-end work ethic and very smart — but his on-field abilities are lacking, at least so far.
So, the grand takeaway: just McCarthy, Brosmer, and Wentz isn’t good enough. Someone would need to get added to be the fourth arm.
The most recent offseason involved the Vikings carrying four quarterbacks. McCarthy and Brosmer were the mainstays through 2025. The other options were Brett Rypien and Sam Howell, neither of whom proved capable of cracking the 53-man roster once decision time arrived as August tipped over into September.
Working in Wentz’s favor is that he’s well-respected by Minnesota’s leadership.
GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah shared some thoughts in the end-of-season presser: “I think our offense moved the ball pretty well in the three games he played before he got injured. He’s a guy that even when he’s healthy doesn’t need a lot of reps, his experience, his intelligence level, his ability to see over the defense.”
“We loved our time with Carson,” Adofo-Mensah goes on to say. Further: “He’s been in great contact with us […] He’s a uniquely-intelligent, caring, loves the Vikings, player. It is an advantage, certainly, that he has run our system.”
Not long afterwards, there’s another mention of Wentz being hurt impacting the level of play, further emphasizing the idea that a healthy Wentz is a capable Wentz.
From a financial perspective, Carson Wentz has plenty of appeal. He played under a $1,197,500 cap charge last season. Prior seasons — $2,500,000 in 2024 and $1,315,000 in 2023 — have similarly featured modest cap charges for Mr. Wentz. There’s next to no chance that he suddenly convinces a team to drain the ATM when free agency arrives in March of 2026.
Oh, and keep in mind that he found a way to feed Justin Jefferson, who had a pair of games beyond 100 yards with Wentz throwing the football. Seems obvious, but whoever is under center needs to feature Mr. Jefferson. That’s a notable detail working in the veteran’s favor.
Carson Wentz is 6’5″ and weighs 237 pounds, giving him the ideal build to be an NFL quarterback. Don’t discount the possibility of him returning to compete in 2026.
