But Wentz, who said he knew after the bye-week diagnosis that it “was only a matter of time” before he would need season-ending surgery, wanted to play as long as he could and was willing to tolerate the pain to do so.
“Playing with it, did it become more uncomfortable? Probably,” he said. “I mean, that was pretty evident to me. But did it become worse that it can’t be fixed? No. I wouldn’t have been out there.
“Truthfully, that was the No. 1 question I had for everybody: ‘Can this get worse? What’s the concern?’ It was kind of a resounding, ‘It’s going to be uncomfortable, but it’s up to you.’ And I said, ‘Well, in that case, let’s roll and see how long we can go.’”
In addition to the Vikings’ medical staff, Wentz consulted with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the Los Angeles-based orthopedic surgeon who has operated on numerous NFL players. He told Wentz there was no risk of further injury if he played and the decision would come down to the quarterback’s pain tolerance.
The Vikings removed Wentz before their last series of Thursday’s 37-10 loss to the Chargers, and the quarterback threw his helmet into the team’s bench as he left the field. On Wednesday, Wentz said, the outburst was spurred by a combination of pain and the realization his season was likely over.
“It’s never fun [to have surgery]. I’ve had more than I care to have in my career,” said the Bismarck, N.D., native, who grew up cheering for the Vikings. “Obviously, the Eagles game, it was bothering me a little bit, but it was bearable. It was doable. The short week made it way harder — I’m not gonna lie — and the game was just icing on the cake for me to know [it was time for surgery].
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