4 Reasons Why Carson Wentz Should Be Vikings' QB2 Over J.J. McCarthy in Week 1

The 2026 NFL season is rapidly approaching. Time is running out for the Vikings to determine the order for the quarterbacks before the team's season opener against the Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Kyler Murray was named the Vikings' starter earlier this month, which the team announced in definitive fashion. However, the announcement that J.J. McCarthy would be his backup was much less convincing, leaving plenty of questions about his future with the franchise.

Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell left the door open for Carson Wentz to overtake McCarthy for the opportunity to be the Vikings' QB2, and there are four great reasons the former NFL MVP candidate should be above McCarthy on the depth chart come Week 1 of the regular season.

1. Experience

There is a massive difference in experience between Wentz and McCarthy. While Wentz has 10 seasons in the NFL, McCarthy has played only 10 games. McCarthy is still a raw player who needs time to develop before the Vikings can trust him to be under center again.

Meanwhile, Wentz is ready to step into that role as soon as the team needs him.

Carson Wentz throws. — Carson Wentz's plethora of experience makes him a more reliable backup option than J.J. McCarthy. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Not only does Wentz have more in-game experience under his belt, but he has endured situations that McCarthy can relate to. Like Minnesota's young quarterback, Wentz sustained an injury before the first game of the regular season during his rookie year. His rib injury didn't sideline him. In fact, Wentz was thrust into the starting role when the Eagles traded their expected starter, Sam Bradford, to the Vikings.

In his second year, Wentz dealt with the frustration of watching his team play without him when he tore his ACL in Week 14 against the Rams. He was vocal about his frustrations during the injury but worked hard to return to the field and join his teammates.

Wentz could be a great inspiration for McCarthy as he attempts to deal with injuries and being a backup in the NFL.

2. Poise

Wentz has looked comfortable for Minnesota when throwing the football. He completed 65.1% of his passes with the Vikings last season. On the other hand, McCarthy has completed 57.6% of his throws and has shown a tendency to struggle with touch and accuracy on throws that should be considered to be routine.

Being a starting quarterback in the NFL is about more than getting on the field and distributing the football accurately. It's about how you lead your teammates, how you talk to the media, and how you carry yourself in the locker room and in public. Wentz puts the team first and supports his teammates, which is another reason McCarthy can look up to him.

3. Toughness

McCarthy missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury and returned in 2025 to miss seven games due to multiple injuries as the starter. Wentz played as long as he could last season through a shoulder injury that would have sidelined most quarterbacks.

Sometimes a quarterback is nowhere near 100% health but still needs to play. When Wentz was asked to do that last season, he went out there and gave it his all. Even when talking to the media about his shoulder in October, the Raleigh, NC native showed how tough he was.

The pain is pain. I felt like I could still help this team and find a way to go down and score and all that stuff. So, we knew that coming into the game, that it was going to be part of it.
Carson Wentz, Vikings QB

While injuries can happen at any time to any player in the NFL, how a player deals with them says a lot about how they handle their business on the football field. Even after taking big hits against the Browns in London, Wentz talked to the media about being frustrated with having to punt and praised his defense, rather than focusing on himself.

4. Message to the locker room

Just because a player was a high draft pick doesn't mean they should automatically be moved up the depth chart.

Doing that can send the wrong message to the rest of the players in the locker room who believe that hard work and great play will earn them a spot on the depth chart. The Vikings need to send a message that they won't hand a job to a player based on their investment in that individual.

Last season, when Minnesota handed McCarthy the starting job after Sam Darnold left in free agency, it sent the wrong message to the players fighting for reps and a roster spot. While being an early draft pick and having success in college should give a player an advantage, it shouldn't let a player earn a starting role without first earning it.

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