Grades hint Carson Wentz’s nightmare vs. Chargers was his worst ever

It wasn't a bad dream. It really happened, and it was arguably the worst performance of Wentz's 10-year career.

Oct 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA;Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz (11) drops back to pass against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

With an overall score of 35.4 from Pro Football Focus, Carson Wentz had the second-worst grade of his career on Thursday night.

Dating back to his rookie season in 2016, Wentz has only had one game with a lower grade from PFF. It was in 2021 when he posted a 35.1 score in a Week 15 game between the Colts and Patriots. His 36.5 passing score from PFF was also the second-lowest of his career, trailing only the 26.7 he received in that 2021 game against New England.

However, Wentz attempted only 12 passes in that game and the Colts beat the Patriots, so it's entirely realistic to say his performance against the Chargers Thursday night was the ugliest game of his 10-year career.

In the 2021 Colts-Patriots game, Wentz finished 5 of 12 for 57 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Against the Chargers Thursday night, Wentz was 15 of 27 for 144 yards with a touchdown and a pick. He was also sacked five times.

Wentz also received a 35.4 score from PFF in 2016 in a game between the Eagles and Ravens. In that matchup, Wentz, who was a rookie, was 22 of 42 for 170 yards and one interception. He was sacked just once. But he also ran for a touchdown and nearly pulled off a fourth-quarter quarterback comeback after having been held to 93 passing yards through three quarters.

Was it the worst game of his career? It might've been, although we should point out that he has three career three-interception games on his list of lowlights. However, none of those produced a lower PFF grade.

Frustrations and intense pain

Frustrations mounted for Wentz throughout the game. At one point, after agonizing in pain after absorbing a big hit, Wentz whipped his helmet on the sideline.

"Yeah, I'm not proud of that. Apologize to the equipment guys for that one. But, yeah, I was in a good amount of pain there," Wentz said.

However, Wentz isn't using his injured shoulder as an excuse.

"I don't think so," he said when asked if the injury impacted his throwing. "I don't think throwing-wise. That's honestly why I felt confident to go. I felt I could do my job. I thought I could throw the ball. Thankfully, you don't need your left shoulder all that much to throw the football, so mechanically, throwing-wise, I felt like I could do everything I needed to."

Wentz, if he gets another chance to play, acknowledged that he held onto the ball too long.

"I can always be better and get the ball out quicker, and make some plays and decisions faster, but, yeah, the defense made it tough tonight," Wentz said.

His next chance may not come unless J.J. McCarthy suffers another injury. Head coach Kevin O'Connell said Thursday that if McCarthy's ankle sprain is healthy, he will return to the starting role next week when the Vikings play the Lions in Detroit.