Win, lose, or draw, Carson Wentz will make history in Week 3, and it will happen the moment he steps onto the field for the Minnesota Vikings against the Cincinnati Bengals, who will notably be without Joe Burrow.
Wentz is set to start for the Vikings amid an ankle injury to first-year QB1 J.J. McCarthy.
The No. 2 overall pick of the 2017 draft, Wentz signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the Vikings in August. That was just two days before the official cutdown for 53-man rosters.
Carson Wentz to Make Historic Debut With Vikings in Week 3
GettyCarson Wentz #11 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up against the Atlanta Falcons.
Wentz spent 2024 with the Kansas City Chiefs and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles, with stints on the Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams, Washington Commanders, and, now, the Vikings.
Wentz has started at least one game for each of those teams. He logged Week 18 appearances with the Rams in 2023 and the Chiefs in 2024.
That journey will make his first start for Minnesota a historic one.
“Carson Wentz will start for his 6th team in 6 seasons,” The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov said in a post on X on September 15, charting out the veteran’s path. “Something no QB in NFL history has ever done.”
Wentz is 47-46-1 as a starter in his career. He has thrown for 22,267 yards, 152 touchdowns, and 67 interceptions on 62.6% completion in those games.
Carson Wentz at ‘Door of Opportunity’
GettyCarson Wentz #11 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up before facing the Seattle Seahawks.
CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin called the NFL a “reality show.” He also referred to Wentz’s return to prominence as a reintroduction of a character, but noted the moment also means more for the Vikings’ fill-in starting quarterback.
According to Benjamin, this could be the “door to opportunity” for Wentz.
“The big-name backup may have arrived in Minnesota last-minute,” Benjamin wrote on September 15. “Now he has what amounts to his best (and likely final) chance to write his own redemption story: anywhere from two to four weeks, as ESPN reported, and perhaps more, to run the show. It’s like nothing anyone could’ve scripted.
“Wentz, remember, is originally from the Midwest, where he grew up rooting for the Vikings and modeling his NDSU gunslinging after one-time Minnesota star Brett Favre. He only got his start with the Philadelphia Eagles after the Vikings, of all teams, desperately pried veteran Sam Bradford from the City of Brotherly Love back in 2016. And his Eagles won their first-ever Super Bowl to close the 2017 season, when he was a legitimate MVP candidate, in U.S. Bank Stadium.”
Benjamin noted that Wentz has had a “rockier” journey than most, thanks largely to a career-altering ACL injury during that 2017 season.
Vikings’ Plan a Source of Intrigue
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 and Carson Wentz #11 of the Minnesota Vikings look on before a game against the Chicago Bears.
It is unclear how long it will last, with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell clarifying that McCarthy was not being benched due to his performance, and Benjamin noted that there are no signs of the team giving up on its second-year QB.
However, Benjamin wondered if Wentz’s potential success would lead the Vikings to delay McCarthy’s eventual return.
After Cincy, the Vikings face the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cleveland Browns, and the Eagles.
That means Wentz could lead the Vikings to victory over his former team in a full-circle moment.
“This might be waltzing down the rabbit hole too far, but is it that crazy of a scenario? “ Benjamin wrote. “We saw in 2024 Sam Darnold that even the most maligned quarterback outcasts can become reclamation projects in the oft-cozy confines of an O’Connell offense, and Wentz shares the first-round pedigree, albeit at an older age (32).”
Darnold was the No. 3 pick in 2018 by the New York Jets. He drew the bust label and was a backup at two stops before his Pro Bowl season with the Vikings in 2024. Darnold signed a three-year, $100.5 million pact with the Seattle Seahawks this past offseason.
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