The Minnesota Vikings are taking a second look outside of the organization for help at quarterback.
After Sam Howell showed some early struggles in training camp, the backup spot behind J.J. McCarthy has come into question. Rookie Max Brosmer has pushed and put forth an impressive first preseason as a pro, leaving many analysts confident he will make the final roster.
However, a combination of McCarthy and Brosmer on the active roster would leave the Vikings without a quarterback who has played a single regular-season game.
That led to a surprise workout on Saturday.
ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry reported that the Vikings hosted Carson Wentz for a workout on Aug. 23, just three days before final roster cuts — a concerning development for the rest of the quarterback room outside of McCarthy.
The No. 2 overall pick of the 2016 draft, Wentz led the Philadelphia Eagles to an 11-2 start to the 2017 season before suffering a season-ending knee injury. He earned Pro Bowl honors in just his second season, while the Eagles went on to win a Super Bowl with backup veteran Nick Foles.
Wentz has had ups and downs as a starter ever since his injury, totaling a career record of 47-46-1. In his final year as a full-time starter, Wentz went 9-8 with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022, throwing for 3,563 yards passing, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
He has spent the past two seasons as a backup for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams.
Kevin O’Connell Breaks Silence on Sam Howell Ahead of Vikings Roster Cuts
The Vikings’ final preseason game proved to be a stage for Brosmer to put a stamp on a successful preseason for the undrafted rookie. He completed 15 of 23 pass attempts for 161 yards and a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans on Friday.
Meanwhile, Howell did not play after he struggled against the New England Patriots the previous week, going 1-for-5 for 15 yards and an interception.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell addressed Howell not seeing action in the preseason finale in Tennessee.
“Kevin O’Connell says Sam Howell was in uniform only if needed in an emergency. Says he feels ‘good about where Sam‘s at’ and added that ‘he has had some real growth’ and that ‘he’s done some really good things.’ We’ll see if that’s enough to be QB2,” ESPN’s Kevin Seifert said after the game.
O’Connell was thrilled with Brosmer’s performance after the game.
“Max once again showed some of the things he’s shown us throughout camp,” O’Connell said after the game. “Good decision maker, made some plays, buying a little time with his legs, converting some third downs via some tight completions.”
Carson Wentz Fits the Bill for Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy Plan
The Vikings’ investment in McCarthy is what kept many veteran quarterbacks away. For example, Daniel Jones chose not to sign with the Vikings for a chance to start with the Colts. Even the Aaron Rodgers situation was not in a vacuum. McCarthy was the biggest consideration O’Connell had to make in answering the four-time MVP’s queries about the potential of playing in Minnesota.
Overall, the Vikings needed an experienced veteran who would be willing to take the back seat to McCarthy. That’s a tough task, as most former starters are ultra-competitors.
However, Wentz, at 32 years old, remains unsigned at this stage of the offseason and needs a team to hitch himself to.
McCarthy’s development will be the driver of where the Vikings go this season, but if the 22-year-old were to get injured, Wentz could poetically fill the role Foles once did, jumping in as a backup to lead a loaded roster as far as they’ll take him.
