Carson Wentz has been positioned on injured reserve and can endure season-ending shoulder surgical procedure, in line with CBS Sports activities NFL insider Jonathan Jones. Wentz made 5 begins this season for the Vikings in reduction of beginning quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who is predicted to return to the lineup for this week’s sport towards the Detroit Lions.
Together with McCarthy, the Vikings’ quarterback room consists of Max Brosmer, an undrafted rookie who will now transfer as much as the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. Brosmer, who began for the Minnesota Gophers final season, has made three reduction appearances this season, going 5 of 8 passing for 42 yards.
Wentz performed with appreciable ache in his left (non-throwing) shoulder for greater than half of his 5 begins, in line with the Vikings’ web site. The previous Professional Bowl quarterback gave the impression to be in apparent ache throughout Minnesota’s most up-to-date sport, a 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers that noticed Wentz depart earlier than its conclusion.
A ten-year veteran, Wentz received two of his first three begins for the Vikings whereas filling in for McCarthy, who suffered a high-ankle sprain throughout Minnesota’s Week 2 loss to the Falcons.
Wentz sustained his shoulder damage through the first half of the Vikings’ Week 5 win over the Browns in London. Regardless of the damage, Wentz stayed within the sport and in the end led a game-winning drive that included him going 9 of 9 passing whereas throwing the game-winning landing move to Jordan Addison with 25 seconds left.
After utilizing the Vikings’ Week 6 bye to rehab his damage, Wentz tried however was unable to guide the Vikings to wins of their subsequent video games towards the Eagles (his former crew) and Chargers. He pleaded with Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell to stay in final week’s sport towards the Chargers regardless of being sacked 5 occasions and clearly being in ache.
Wentz did his finest, but it surely’ll now be as much as McCarthy to assist flip the Vikings’ season round. Minnesota is presently 3-4 and in final place within the NFC North.
What does this imply for Wentz’s future?
For all intents and functions, Wentz’s Vikings profession might be a wrap. He was introduced in as emergency insurance coverage, and he was referred to as upon to an amazing diploma in a brief period of time. However he was uneven in dire circumstances, and he was at all times going to be a short-term Band-Assist anyway. Solely a flawless and near-undefeated run would’ve satisfied Vikings brass to pivot all the best way off the McCarthy experiment, which has hardly left the bottom.
Greater than that, Wentz’s injury-fueled exit may additionally spell the top of the quarterback’s NFL profession. That is principally a results of the bodily put on and tear he suffered behind Minnesota’s shaky entrance. Imperfect as he might have been dealing with the ball as Kevin O’Connell’s level guard, he confirmed sufficient in his temporary Vikings tenure to warrant one other backup gig some other place. It is simply that he is additionally nearing his mid-30s after a decade of NFL service and took such a visual toll this yr.
Contemplating he waited fairly some time to land his final two backup gigs, it is attainable Wentz may resolve that he is had his fill of taking a beating on the NFL stage. Then once more, his personal rugged persistence is a part of the explanation he suffered such critical shoulder accidents in any respect; possibly his never-say-die mentality can be sufficient to have him angling for one final alternative in 2026.
What does this imply for the Vikings?
For one, it underscores the chilly actuality that Minnesota merely wasn’t ready to climate such turmoil beneath heart. Not one of the membership’s particular person quarterback choices — letting Sam Darnold stroll, declining to pursue Aaron Rodgers with full conviction, and so on. — was egregious by itself. However Wentz ended up turning into a kind of sacrificial lamb within the wake of McCarthy’s unreadiness.
What we do not discuss sufficient about is the very fact [Wentz was] on the heart of Minnesota’s conundrum — to rush McCarthy again or to pivot to undrafted rookie Max Brosmer? — regardless of solely becoming a member of the crew on Aug. 24. Look, some quarterbacks can flip round and assist a franchise keep afloat on a couple of days’ discover (see: Joe Flacco and the Cincinnati Bengals, not less than briefly). However the Bengals had Joe Burrow as their Plan A. The Vikings had McCarthy, a complete unknown.
What’s carried out is completed. The Vikings made 2025 about McCarthy. After which McCarthy sputtered out of the gate earlier than taking place (once more). It ought to be no shock, a couple of weeks later, they’re hurting to get issues beneath management on the quarterback place, not so in contrast to midway by means of the 2023 season when Kirk Cousins was sidelined and O’Connell was left to squeeze what he may from Joshua Dobbs, one other last-minute backup addition, and various leftovers.
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Virtually, nonetheless, Wentz’s transfer to injured all however ensures McCarthy will make his long-awaited return sooner fairly than later. Visiting Detroit to tackle the vaunted Lions in Week 9 in all probability is not the launching pad the Vikings had in thoughts for his or her second-year signal-caller coming off damage, however then once more, nothing has actually gone in line with plan on the place. McCarthy, in the meantime, might get considerably of a move if he is not lights out in his first sport(s) again. However he’ll even be beneath critical strain to make good on the 2025 marketing campaign as 12 months 2 of his rookie contract rapidly fades away.
And if he cannot keep on the sphere once more? Brosmer, the previous Golden Gophers prospect, could be the subsequent title we’re discussing because the unlucky face of the Vikings’ offense.
