The Minnesota Vikings’ season took another turn on Monday when veteran quarterback Carson Wentz was ruled out for the year after surgery to repair a left shoulder injury he sustained on Oct. 5 while stepping in for starter J.J. McCarthy.
Wentz’s placement on IR leaves McCarthy set to reclaim the starting role for Minnesota’s Week 9 divisional matchup against the Detroit Lions, and puts undrafted rookie Max Brosmer in position as the lone backup on the active roster.
With McCarthy’s uneven performances to this point and the lack of depth behind him, NBC Sports’ Mike Florio has urged the Vikings to go out and make a move at the QB position.
“It’s time to see what J.J. McCarthy can do or not do,” Florio said on “Pro Football Talk” on Tuesday. “Let’s just see. You got to figure it out because if you made a mistake, you got to do what the Colts did and admit it. You still have J.J. McCarthy under contract for two more years. I’m not suggesting cutting him, but you go find a Daniel Jones and you try not to obsess over the fact that you had Daniel Jones and you let him get away.”
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Wentz started five games after McCarthy’s high-ankle sprain in Week 2, completing 65.1% of his passes for 1,216 yards and six touchdowns (five INTs), doing enough to help the Vikings notch two wins over the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals.
Prior to the injury, McCarthy’s limited sample size left a lot to be desired; he led a comeback win over the Chicago Bears on “Monday Night Football,” followed by a two-interception, zero-touchdown loss to the Atlanta Falcons just one week later.
Now healthy enough to start, the second-year QB faces immediate pressure, not just to win now but to prove that the team made the right call by believing in him after letting go of both Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones a year ago, two QBs who are now thriving in their respective situations.
With the NFL trade deadline looming on Nov. 4, look for the Vikings to potentially add a veteran quarterback to both mentor McCarthy and serve as an insurance policy should the young starter struggle or suffer another setback.
A couple of names to watch out for include New York Giants QB Russell Wilson and Falcons’ Kirk Cousins, the latter of whom formerly played in Minnesota from 2018-2023, including two seasons under coach Kevin O’Connell.
