The reasons Carson Wentz was named the No. 2 quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings over J.J. McCarty were clear. To put finer points on it, experience and an ability to function in all aspects of the role made the decision easy for Kevin O'Connell.
It also didn't take long for Wentz's role to matter. 11 snaps into the season opener against the Green Bay Packers, Kyler Murray suffered a concussion and, of course, missed the rest of the game.
Despite a lack of practice reps, as Murray and McCarthy took most of the training camp work, Wentz acquitted himself well, going 12-for-19 for 133 yards and three touchdowns with a 123.5 passer rating as the Vikings came back to beat their chief rival.
That's exactly what a backup quarterback is supposed to do. Be ready at a moment's notice, and hold down the fort seamlessly in what became a winning effort.
In a word, Wentz was predictable in Week 1. Not perfect, or especially dynamic, but predictable as he executed the plays in front of him. When everything else is working, that's all the Vikings need from the quarterback.
Justin Jefferson said it all about the expectations for Minnesota Vikings QB Carson Wentz
The only Vikings quarterback who got much of anything out of Justin Jefferson last season was Wentz. Before he was force-fed targets in Week 18 to ensure he extended his streak of 1,000-yard campaigns, Jefferson's only two 100-yard games last season were overseas with Wentz starting.
In Week 1, Jefferson matched his touchdown total from all of last season (two). We'll never know if he would've done the same with Murray under center, but that he did it with Wentz playing is notable.
On Wednesday, Jefferson was asked what impressed him about Wentz's Week 1 performance.
"I'm not really impressed. That's kinda what he's been doing, even coming in last year, filling in, in a big role.
Sunday was expected for him to come in and do what he normally does.”
Jefferson noted how Wentz "knew everything that was going on" during the week of preparation, to the point that it "was like Kyler was still in there."
Apart from how things would've ultimately gone against the Packers, good or bad, it's hard to imagine Jefferson saying similar things about McCarthy if McCarthy had been the backup to step in for the injured Murray.
McCarthy may have been fully engaged during the week, but could he have taken it to the field like Wentz did? Let's call it doubtful, and Wentz doing what he did in Week 1 brought what amounted to a verbal shrug from Jefferson days later.
After the worst season of his career in 2025, Jefferson's appreciation for steadiness and predictability under center surely grew, and Wentz is a poster boy for that. If we needed more proof of why he's perfect for the No. 2 quarterback role, the best wide receiver in the NFL gave it to us.
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