Insiders Suggest Carson Wentz Would Have Kept QB Job Over J.J. McCarthy in 2025

As news broke that Carson Wentz is returning to the Minnesota Vikings for 2026, insiders have been suggesting he would have remained as the starter over J.J. McCarthy last year if not for the shoulder injury that ended his season.

The Vikings confirmed Thursday that they have signed Wentz to a one-year deal, rounding out a 2026 quarterback room that includes McCarthy and recent free agent signing Kyler Murray.

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After the Vikings signed Murray, NFL insiders postulated that the former Arizona Cardinals QB would be entering a "quarterback competition" with McCarthy, whom the Vikings drafted with the 10th overall pick in 2024.

But some of those same insiders are now saying if Wentz hadn't suffered what was ultimately a season-ending shoulder injury during the Week 5 win over the Cleveland Browns, he may have led the Vikings to the NFL playoffs last season.

"The Vikings went 9-8 last season and probably make the playoffs if Carson Wentz doesn't get hurt, forcing undrafted rookie Max Brosmer into action," NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said, indicating that McCarthy may not have wrested the starting role back from Wentz once he returned from the injury he sustained in the Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

The Athletic's Alec Lewis reported similar, posting: "The Vikings have rounded out the QB room the way they wanted to. Wentz had a lot of fans internally – many believed they might’ve snuck in playoffs had he stayed healthy."

Pelissero's post is slight re-writing of history given that McCarthy returned to the Vikings lineup after Wentz's season ended after Week 8. McCarthy played four games before another injury forced him to miss the game at the Seattle Seahawks, which Brosmer started in a blowout defeat to the future Super Bowl champions.

Still, the initial response to Wentz's signing assumed he would be the No. 3 in the QB room behind Murray and McCarthy, but the comments from the aforementioned insiders suggest that may not be cut and dried.

Despite claims of a "quarterback competition," reports that Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell may see Murray as a long-term solution at quarterback surely puts him in pole position to be the starter this season.

But is McCarthy assured of the No. 2 spot in the event Murray is forced to miss time? Wentz's signing and the subsequent statements from insiders suggest there may indeed by a quarterback competition, just not for the No. 1 spot.

Indeed, ESPN's Kevin Seifert commented that given the Vikings' depth issues at QB in 2023 and 2025, "they want to minimize the risk of having an inexperienced QB on the field in 2026."

That is not a ringing endorsement of "J.J. McCarthy as the No. 2."

As Pelissero says, the Vikings have "one of the NFL's most fascinating QB rooms" heading into the new season.