It’s been a few years since Carson Wentz played in an NFL game with real stakes.
On New Year’s Day in 2023, Wentz’s Washington Commanders needed a win to stay alive in the playoff hunt. After missing a couple months with a fractured finger, he had just gotten the starting role back from Taylor Heinicke. Wentz had a rough outing that day, throwing three interceptions as Washington was eliminated from postseason contention.
Almost three years later, another opportunity has arrived. Wentz, who spent the last two seasons backing up future Hall of Famers with the Rams and Chiefs, joined the Vikings in the same capacity less than a month ago. And with J.J. McCarthy out for at least a couple weeks due to an ankle injury, Wentz will make career start No. 95 on Sunday against the Bengals. Unlike the past two Week 18s, when he got the nod in meaningless games while the starters rested, this one matters.
“It’s exciting,” he said on Wednesday. “Pretty fast pace the last couple weeks for me. It’s been fun to see J.J. and interact with him and be a part of what they’ve been doing here this whole offseason. It’s a bummer, obviously, what happened to him. Been there more times than I care to admit. But it’s been fun to see how he’s responded already — and exciting for me, I’m not gonna lie. It’s been a couple years since I played in a game like this, with real consequences.”
When asked if he thought he’d ever get another opportunity to start, he admitted that his mind has wandered to such places. After his one season with the Commanders ended, Wentz didn’t land another job until the Rams came calling in November of 2023. This year, he was a free agent until the Vikings brought him in to replace Sam Howell in late August. Now 32 years old, the former Eagles phenom didn’t know if or when he’d get another chance to show what he can still do.
“I’m a human being,” he said. “It’s hard to not have those thoughts. But at the same time, when they come, I try not to think too futuristically. Just be where I’m at, be grateful for the opportunity at hand, not try and put too much pressure on myself but not take it for granted either. It’s a very human thing to dwell on and think about, but that’s where my faith comes in.”
This all happened pretty quickly. Wentz signed with the Vikings on August 24. Later that week, he was talking to reporters about the process of getting up to speed quickly and the exciting opportunity in front of him. Now, less than a month after inking his contract, he’s going to be starting for the Vikings in a game that already carries a ton of early stakes, considering their 1-1 record and the gauntlet of a schedule that awaits after their Week 6 bye.
Wentz said he feels great physically and is “in a good spot” in terms of his knowledge of the offense. This week is all about dialing in on the game plan and getting ready to go play efficient football.
“It’s fun to go out there and sit through install meetings, knowing this is a chance, personally, that it’s been a couple years since I’ve had a meaningful start,” he said. “I’ve been staying ready behind the scenes, doing whatever I can. It’s been fast paced trying to learn this offense, learn these guys. It is quite a bit different, but at the same time, once we went out there, it’s a Wednesday practice, and I kind of fell right back into that same routine I’ve had for 10 years now.”
For Wentz, even joining the Vikings was pretty surreal. He grew up in North Dakota as a Vikings fan. He had to put that to the side during the first nine years of his NFL career, but the memories have come back since he first arrived in Minnesota. And to now go from being a backup to actually running out on the field as the Vikings’ starting quarterback on Sunday will be pretty special, he said.
“I grew up rooting for this team. It’s one of those things, you play long enough and you can kind of forget about those things, because it’s football, you’re bouncing around teams. But being here, I kind of alluded to it when I first got here, just how cool it is for me. I used to cheer for the guys that I’m walking down the hallway seeing (on the walls). I used to come to the Metrodome and I was waving the towel, I was part of the Skol chants, all the things. So running out of the tunnel this week will probably hit me a little bit different in a really cool, kind of surreal way.”
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