After going unsigned until the final week of preseason, former Kansas City Chiefs QB Carson Wentz has surprisingly found himself back in the spotlight with the Minnesota Vikings.
On Monday, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported that the Vikings aren’t anticipating having starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy for their Week 3 contest due to an ankle sprain. ESPN's Adam Schefter soon added McCarthy's expected to miss 2-4 weeks.
With the young QB banged up, it opens up the door for the ex-Kansas City quarterback to be the starter.
Carson Wentz Gets Gifted Another Chance to Start with Vikings
The last time we saw Wentz under center, he didn’t play well in the Chiefs’ regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos. The veteran quarterback completed a mediocre 58.8 percent of his passes (10-of-17) for 98 yards and was sacked four times.
The Chiefs lost that Week 18 matchup 38-0. It was the last impression that every team across the league got as Wentz headed into free agency. The veteran quarterback saw little to no interest in free agency, but was shockingly brought in for a workout during the last week of August and ended up signing a deal with the Vikings.
That signing raised eyebrows, considering Minnesota was set on McCarthy as its QB1, so Wentz was heading into a situation with almost no path to starting. However, given McCarthy's injury to begin his career, Wentz likely also saw a scenario where he could be under center if the youngster's health issues continued.
Now that exact scenario has played out, to Wentz's benefit. The latest on McCarthy points to a 2-4-week absence, giving Wentz a clear runway to recoup his value around the league and attempt to become the next veteran backup who lands a starting opportunity next free agency.
If Wentz plays well and leads Minnesota to a win over the Cincinnati Bengals, that could start to spark a market for the ex-Chief, who could be pursued at the deadline or next offseason by a QB-needy franchise.