Shortly after the Minnesota Vikings‘ Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the team announced that J.J. McCarthy was dealing with an injury.
This immediately sprang Carson Wentz into action, a newly signed backup QB who will get the opportunity to suit up for his sixth NFL team.
Wentz, of course, was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles when they won the Super Bowl in 2017, but a season-ending injury kept him off the field and unable to contribute in the big game.
This injury also hindered his career development, as he had a high trajectory before it, and it has since dwindled.
His opportunities as a starter haven’t yielded much in the past few seasons, which is why he’s had to bounce around from team to team, a situation that can be discouraging for some players.
Wentz has chosen a different approach, expressing gratitude and thankfulness, as he mentioned in a video shared by the Vikings via Ari Meirov on X.
“It’s definitely given me a different perspective. Going from being a starter, traded, cut, all the things, then being a backup last two years behind some future Hall of Fame quarterbacks—getting to see it done at a very high level. It’s given me some perspective. Also, just the perspective of not taking this for granted. You never know when your next chance is going to be in this league. It’s not something I want to take lightly or take for granted,” Wentz said.
#Vikings QB Carson Wentz says being on his 6th team in 6 years has given him a new perspective — not taking anything for granted and having a greater appreciation for the game.
Good stuff here.
(via @Vikings) https://t.co/Qft4A25qjL pic.twitter.com/PllBg3E9oD
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 18, 2025
Wentz could have given it up after being a backup for several years, getting some opportunities to start along the way, but he seems eager and ready for another chance.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell is known as a quarterback guru, notably helping Sam Darnold look fantastic last season, so if there’s any coach to help Wentz get back on his feet and succeed, it’s probably him.
Wentz and the Vikings are taking on backup QB Jake Browning and the Cincinnati Bengals this week, so he’ll get an interesting test against a 2-0 team with their backs against the wall, injury-wise.
NEXT: Kevin O'Connell Has Honest Admission About Carson Wentz
