Carson Wentz? Really?

Matt Fries attempts to reason with the Vikings' recent decision to hand Carson Wentz the backup quarterback job behind JJ McCarthy.

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Author’s Note: Arif requested that I write this article. I want to make that very clear – Arif Hasan requested that I write an article for him talking about the Vikings signing Carson Wentz. Do with that information what you will.

As the NFL’s 53-man roster cut-down day approached last week, the Minnesota Vikings decided that their current QB room, well, didn’t cut it. The team moved on from both Sam Howell and Brett Rypien, who had a lackluster training camp and preseason, and instead signed Carson Wentz.

Wentz, who went to high school in Bismarck, North Dakota and won an unprecedented five consecutive FCS National Championships while he was at North Dakota State, now has a legitimate claim to the biggest hometown hero in the QB room over rookie Max Brosmer, who spent just one year at Minnesota.

The Vikings were able to recoup value for Howell by trading him to the Eagles for a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick, giving back a 2026 sixth-round pick in the process. It’s arguably more value than the trade they pulled off to acquire Howell during the draft, where all they did was move down from pick 142 to 172 in the fifth round.

Still, that return would not be enough for the team to move on from Howell as their backup QB if they truly thought he was a better option than Wentz. The implication is that the Vikings believe adding Wentz makes their team better.

Does it? Let’s take a look at the move from all angles.

A Quick Biography

You probably already have a general recollection of Wentz’s history, but he’s fallen off the map over the last couple of seasons. As a physically imposing QB, Wentz was the second overall pick in 2016 and turned in an excellent 2017 season, where he finished third in MVP voting and was named a second-team All-Pro. That season was ended prematurely by an ACL injury, and Nick Foles went on to lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl.

In that 2017 season, Wentz won with his big arm and physical ability to get out of sacks. He converted seemingly countless third downs and improbable situations to help lead the Eagles to success. However, after the ACL tear and a subsequent back injury in 2018, Wentz was never able to regain his 2017 form.

Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images

By 2020, the Eagles had had enough. They handed the reins over to Jalen Hurts and sent Wentz to the Colts. There, Wentz collapsed down the stretch, the Colts missed the playoffs, and he was jettisoned again, this time to the Commanders. In Washington, he floundered, going just 2-5 as a starter and missing the playoffs yet again.

No longer wanted as a starter, Wentz joined the Rams in the middle of the 2023 season (replacing, funnily enough, Brett Rypien), and then spent 2024 with the Chiefs. He served as the primary backup for both teams, starting in Week 18 both years as the teams rested their starters for the playoffs.

Tape Study

To get a feel for where Wentz is right now as a QB, I watched his two starts for the Rams and Chiefs. Those situations are akin to how he might need to see the field for the Vikings — as a backup — and are the most recent look we have at Wentz.

It’s notable that Wentz was playing with other backups across the offense in those games. With the Chiefs, he had to face the Broncos, one of the best defenses in the league, while they played their starters. With the Rams, he was going up against the 49ers, who were also playing their backups.

From the tape, Wentz appears to be a one-read QB.

He also doesn’t play with much anticipation. Instead, I would term him a “see it, throw it” player, where he needs to confirm a receiver is open before delivering the ball.

The play below is a good example. Wentz double-clutches the ball, pulling back and waiting to confirm the receiver is open on the dig before pulling the trigger, even though there was no one over the middle of the field to contest this pass. High-level QBs should be able to anticipate this throw, releasing the ball before the receiver clears the nearest defender, but Wentz is hesitant.

Another concern is Wentz’s elongated throwing motion. Wentz has long arms and a windmill-like throwing motion, which you can see multiple times in the forthcoming clips. It just takes him longer than most QBs to get the ball out, which can exacerbate timing issues.