Vikings QB Carson Wentz Already on Notice Before Bengals Game

Carson Wentz is assuming the role of QB1 for the Minnesota Vikings while J.J. McCarthy is sidelined, and maybe even beyond. But it all must start with his historic moment in Week 3 as the Vikings take on the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Vikings are catching the Bengals at the right time, but they also need a win, so they cannot afford to take their opponent lightly.

For Wentz, that means tapping into former versions of himself.

Vikings Likely Among Carson Wentz’s ‘Final Opportunities’

The Athletic’s Alec Lewis posted on X that the Vikings need Wentz “to be the version he still thinks he can be.”

He wrote how QB situations “can change in an instant” and that Wentz may be on his last leg.

“A couple of weeks ago, McCarthy referred to Carson as ‘coach Wentz.’ Now, in the aftermath of the high ankle sprain McCarthy sustained Sunday, it will be incumbent upon Carson to help dislodge the Vikings offense from its poor start,” Lewis wrote on September 18.

“It probably isn’t a stretch to say that this might be one of Wentz’s final opportunities to prove his worth as an NFL starter. Will that manifest as motivational fuel? It’s possible. The stakes of the situation are undeniable. This is a reeling Vikings offense, working its way through some serious adversity early in a season that began with such high hopes and expectations.”

Lewis noted Wentz’s “gunslinger” playing style introduces a level of unpredictability regarding what’s looming. Accuracy and decision-making are of the utmost importance.”

Carson Wentz Ready for ‘Surreal’ Moment

Wentz is taking over the controls for a 1-1 Vikings team whose Week 2 issues were as telling as their Week 1 win was thrilling. He is bracing for an emotionally-charged outing in Week 3 at home against the Bengals.

“Running out of that tunnel this week will probably hit me a little bit different, in a really cool kind of surreal way,” Wentz told reporters on September 17. “So, I’m excited for that.”

Wentz’s last start was in Week 18 of the 2024 season for the Kansas City Chiefs.

He has not started multiple games since 2022 with the Washington Commanders, and has not had a winning record as QB1 since 2021 as a member of the Indianapolis Colts. He will have an opportunity at the former for the Vikings, who hope he achieves the latter feat as their starter.

McCarthy is out for multiple weeks, offering Wentz an opportunity to settle in as the Vikings’ starter and, potentially, get into a rhythm.

Vikings Brace for Unfortunate Outcome

Wentz, 32, has the faith of Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and his staff, but he also has shown inconsistency in recent opportunities and has a history of injuries. So, the Vikings also hedged their bets even if they will not have a quick hook for Wentz.

The Vikings signed former Atlanta Falcons third-round pick (2022) Desmond Ridder.

Ridder, who spent this past preseason with the Bengals, has a losing record as a starter in his career and has not won a start since Week 13 of the 2023 season with Atlanta.

Still, he provides the Vikings a more experienced option behind Wentz than rookie undrafted free agent and former Minnesota Golden Gophers QB Max Brosmer. If all goes well from here, though, the Vikings will not need Brosmer, Ridder, or even Wentz for too long.

Micah Parsons issues strong response to Rasheed Walker’s bold Packers talk

Micah Parsons and the Green Bay Packers are either the top team right now in the NFL after two weeks of action or one of the best. In the eyes of Green Bay offensive lineman Rasheed Walker, his team is so good, he could see the Packers going all the way and winning the Super Bowl without suffering a loss along the way.

“The goal is to keep it going,” Walker said this week. “I think we can go undefeated honestly. … Pound for pound, I look at these teams, and I don’t really see who’s better than us honestly. That’s why I can say that so confidently.”

Although the Packers have crushed it in the two games they have played thus far in the 2025 NFL regular season, the fact remains that they have indeed just saw action in only a couple of outings. The sample size is still small at this point, though, it’s hard to fault Walker for feeling such confidence in his team. 

With a defense that got a major boost with the addition of Parsons and an offense that has incredible talent in the backfield and downfield, Green Bay has looked so powerful in their wins against the Detroit Lions and the Washington Commanders in Week 1 and Week 2, respectively.

Micah Parsons reacts to Walker’s undefeated claim

Speaking of Parsons, the four-time Pro Bowl had this to say about Walker’s take on the Packers’ potential to wreck every opponent the rest of the way:

“We should win every game,” said Parsons, who was traded to Green Bay by the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for veteran defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two future first-round picks (h/t Zach Kruse of Packers Wire).

“That’s the mindset you should have. That’s the mindset I want my left tackle to have. Pound for pound, he feels like he can compete with the best…you want your LT having that type of confidence.”

Only one team in the history of the NFL has ever gone undefeated for an entire season, and that was the 1972 Miami Dolphins. It’s a rare feat, to say the least.

In any case, Green Bay will look to keep its record clean when it faces the Cleveland Browns this Sunday on the road.

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