Wentz Signing Sparks Feverish Speculation Over Vikings QB Depth Chart

In signing Carson Wentz on Thursday morning, the Vikings rounded out their quarterback room for 2026. However, it added another question about what the quarterback depth chart is going to look like.

Logically, Kyler Murray will be the starter, but numerous insiders continue to report that he'll have to win a competition against J.J. McCarthy. ESPN's Adam Schefter added to that thinking on Tuesday, noting that he thinks the quarterback job is still "fairly wide open." Wentz's return throws an added wrinkle into the conversation.

Shortly after the Wentz news broke, it was noted by NFL Network's Tom Pelissero that had Wentz not suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, he would have kept the starting job over McCarthy. The Athletic's Alec Lewis added that many inside the Vikings organization believe that Minnesota would have made the playoffs in 2025 if Wentz had stayed healthy.

If the coaching staff thought that much of Wentz before the injury, it's probably safe to assume not much has changed and that he could be mixed in with Murray and McCarthy in that supposed "competition."

Former Vikings linebacker and current team radio broadcast analyst Ben Leber noted on X, formerly Twitter, that he thinks there will be a "true QB competition," saying he thinks Wentz currently sits atop the depth chart, with Murray and McCarthy behind him.

That would be shocking for numerous reasons. First off, with other options still available to him, Murray decided to sign with the Vikings after his release from Arizona. Presumably, that would mean he was told by the Vikings' coaching staff he would be the starter or have a good shot at winning the "competition."

Second, according to SI's Albert Breer, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell allegedly told Murray that he sees the former No. 1 overall pick as a "potential longer-range answer" rather than a one-year Band-Aid. If O'Connell thinks that highly of Murray, then are Wentz and McCarthy really in a competition for the starting job?

There is no definitive answer, and there likely won't be one until we see the snap distributions at training camp. When pressed at a press conference following the Murray signing, O'Connell said he doesn't have to name a starter now.

Minnesota is a team that views itself as a contender. After a roller coaster 2025 season, it would be surprising if they handed the keys to the offense back to McCarthy. If it's true that Wentz would have kept the job had he stayed healthy, his return likely signals that McCarthy really isn't in the competition at all. If there is indeed a competition, then it's really between Murray and Wentz, a pair of former high draft picks.

What does that mean for McCarthy's future? With no long-term assurances from either Murray or Wentz — both are on one-year deals — Minnesota could have McCarthy drop back to QB3 and learn from the two veterans, using 2026 as a healthy reset year. Without the pressure of starting for a team that wants to compete, McCarthy could get valuable learning time and plenty of low-pressure practice reps to grow into the QB the Vikings envisioned they were taking at No. 10 overall in 2024.

It could also signal that McCarthy's time in Minnesota is done. ESPN's Kevin Seifert noted that the Vikings brought back Wentz to "minimize the risk of having an inexperienced QB on the field in 2026." That seems to be a clear sign that McCarthy is nowhere near the field in 2026. So, is his time up in Minnesota? Or do the Vikings still want to see if there is something there in McCarthy?

Teams have moved quickly off high draft picks in the past, especially when the roster around them is set up to win now. The Vikings don't have the time to wait for McCarthy to develop into a starter. They needed him to hit the ground running, not stumbling like he did in 2025. That pressure was ratcheted up even higher after the firing of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, which likely turned up the heat on O'Connell's seat.

Meanwhile, Max Brosmer's future with Minnesota is now in doubt. If the Vikings enter the season with Murray, Wentz, and McCarthy on the roster, then the only realistic place for Brosmer is on the practice squad or with another team.