After the preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans, there were still questions about the Minnesota Vikings' backup quarterback situation. Undrafted rookie Max Brosmer made his case for a spot on the 53-man roster, but ideally, there would be an experienced option directly behind J.J. McCarthy on the depth chart. Sam Howell had a rough training camp and preseason, while Brett Rypien was in line to be an easy cut (which has now been done).
A trade for a veteran backup signal caller was possibly on the radar, but no stones were left unturned. ESPN's Lindsey Thiry reported the Vikings had Wentz in for a workout on Saturday, and they apparently saw enough.
Sunday morning, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Vikings have agreed to a deal with Wentz.
The move to sign Wentz came in parallel with, as first reported by NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Vikings trading Howell to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Trade! The #Vikings are sending QB Sam Howell to the #Eagles, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 24, 2025
Minnesota gets a 2026 5th-round pick and a 2027 7th. Philadelphia gets a 2026 6th and Howell, an experienced backup for Jalen Hurts while Tanner McKee deals with an injury. pic.twitter.com/RVRam0CmbH
Wentz has lingered available all offseason, with no reports of teams being interested. To be fair, that was a red flag without clear reasons, but it can't be because the former No. 2 overall pick has any designs on being a starter again. That ship has sailed, as he heads for his sixth team in as many seasons.
Carson Wentz is the new No. 2 QB for the Minnesota Vikings
To put it mildly, Wentz has had a humbling career arc. Once thought to be the long-term guy for the Philadelphia Eagles, with the big contract extension to show it, he was displaced when they drafted Jalen Hurts in 2020. He went to the Indianapolis Colts in 2021, starting all 17 games that season, then it was on to the Washington Commanders in 2022 (eight games-seven starts).
Wentz has transitioned to being a backup the last two years. He spent the 2023 season with the Los Angeles Rams and last season with the Kansas City Chiefs, starting a meaningless regular season finale for each team as it rested starters. He made a total of five appearances with 43 pass attempts over the two campaigns.
Of course, it's that time with the Rams under Sean McVay that informed Minnesota's interest in him. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell is a McVay disciple and runs a similar offensive system.
Wentz has a more Vikings-specific tie that runs deeper. As Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune noted, quarterbacks coach Josh McCown's final season as a player (2019) was spent with the Eagles as Wentz's backup.
Vikings fans are certainly not excited by the idea of Wentz being McCarthy's backup. But he is a solid-looking fit, and it didn't require surrendering anything in a trade to get him. With other moves possibly coming, not having to give up any draft picks matters.
Less than 36 hours after the preseason finale, with roster cuts having to be done by Tuesday afternoon, the Vikings wasted no time to reshuffle their backup quarterback situation.