The Minnesota Vikings put together one of the most dominant victories in franchise history in Week 3, as they pummeled the Cincinnati Bengals to the tune of a 48-10 victory. Now, they will draw a tough matchup against Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers, which will be played in Dublin, Ireland, as part of the NFL International Series.
For the second straight week, the Vikings will be starting Carson Wentz at quarterback, as J.J. McCarthy is still recovering from an ankle injury. And yet, while that may seem to be advantageous for the Steelers, Tomlin made it clear that he is not taking Minnesota lightly just because they will have a backup starting for them in this matchup.
Mike Tomlin Addresses Vikings’ Quarterback Situation
After losing both Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones in free agency over the offseason, the Vikings turned to J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback after they selected him with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. McCarthy selected a meniscus injury that forced him to miss the entire 2024 season, so in essence, he is still a rookie for Minnesota this year.
While McCarthy led a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback against the Chicago Bears in Week 1, he struggled in the other seven quarters he played in during the first two games of his professional career. After suffering an ankle injury in the Vikings’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons, it was revealed that McCarthy would miss a couple of weeks, forcing Wentz into action.
Wentz had a lot of help on Sunday, but he calmly led Minnesota to a blowout win over Cincinnati, which was also without its starting quarterback for this game. And while starting a backup quarterback would almost always seem to benefit Pittsburgh, Tomlin revealed that he doesn’t necessarily believe that’s the case for his team in Week 4.
“That certainly has our attention,” Tomlin said of Wentz starting for the Vikings in Week 4.”He’s a grizzled veteran. Oftentimes, particularly when you have a young, inexperienced quarterback, there’s some big-time benefits of playing with a vet backup … I don’t necessarily view it as a negative thing for the Minnesota Vikings, at least in the short term, that Carson is playing for them.”
Are the Vikings Better Off Starting Carson Wentz Over J.J. McCarthy?
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – SEPTEMBER 21: Carson Wentz #11 of the Minnesota Vikings looks to pass against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 21, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
The Vikings knew that McCarthy was going to need some time to develop this season, but the problem is that the rest of the roster around him is ready to compete for a playoff spot. The team proved as much when Darnold started for them last season, so if McCarthy can’t help Minnesota win games, it may be necessary for the team to find someone who can.
For at least one game, Wentz was that guy, but he will face a more difficult challenge in Week 4 when he squares off against the Steelers’ defense. With this game taking place in Ireland, kickoff is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, and the Vikings will look to prove that their destruction of the Bengals was not a fluke by picking up their second straight win.
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