Super Bowl Champion QB Sends Fitting Message Amid Expected Vikings Search

The Minnesota Vikings avoided bringing in serious competition for J.J. McCarthy. However, amid questions about McCarthy in training camp and the Vikings’ expected to explore QB options in general, Carson Wentz could be a fine target.

CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin listed Wentz as the No. 1 “emergency QB option” for the Los Angeles Rams amid concerns about Matthew Stafford’s back injury.

Wentz posted a picture of a football, along with an hourglass emoji, on Instagram on August 6.

The post suggests that Wentz is biding his time until the right offer emerges. That got Rams fans’ attention. However, the Vikings could offer a slightly clearer path to a QB2 job than the Rams.

“This is the one glaring name still unsigned from this year’s free agent quarterback class,” Benjamin wrote on August 6. “Yes, he’s bounced around. Yes, he’s been scattershot. But if the Rams at any point need a bargain rental with some explosive traits, it’s hard to think they could do much better than Wentz.”

That could apply to Wentz’s fit with the Vikings, too. Wentz was the former No. 2 pick in the 2016 draft. His career has taken him from the Philadelphia Eagles, where he won a ring as a backup, to the Indianapolis Colts, Washington Commanders, Rams, and, in 2024, the Kansas City Chiefs.

Wentz could first join the Vikings as insurance for McCarthy, with the idea that, if needed, he could take the reins.

Vikings Could Follow 2024 Plan With Carson Wentz

Wentz joining the Rams would closely align with their plan for the 2024 season, when they signed Sam Darnold to a one-year, $10 million contract in free agency and then traded up to select McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick of the draft.

Moreover, the Vikings signed former New York Giants QB and 2019 No. 6 overall pick Daniel Jones during the season.

He never got into a game, but the Vikings dressed him as their emergency third QB.

If all goes well, the Vikings will never have to turn to any other options besides McCarthy. He is an unknown commodity after missing his rookie season with a knee injury, and the NFL regular season is a test against attrition.

Wentz is coming off a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Chiefs and has earned $131.9 million in his career.

A chance at a Super Bowl run with the Vikings could appeal to Wentz more than anything.

Vikings QB Room in Question as Preseason Arrives

Wentz would join a Vikings quarterback room facing increasing scrutiny, including at the top with McCarthy, whom The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd suggested is being protected from criticism by the organization.

McCarthy has been uneven in training camp, and he has had to go it without top wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

Things only get less certain behind him, and the Vikings are expected to explore their options.

The Vikings swapped draft picks with the Seattle Seahawks to acquire Sam Howell in a trade this offseason, but he has remained inconsistent with his decision-making. Brett Rypien has a 2-2 record as a starter in seven NFL seasons.

Rookie undrafted free agent Max Brosmer is the only other QB on the Vikings’ roster, which is why an experienced option like Wentz could appeal to head coach Kevin O’Connell and Co.