EAGAN, Minn. — Carson Wentz took a beating Thursday evening at SoFi Stadium. Carrying a sequence of harnesses to carry collectively his left shoulder, Wentz regularly grimaced in ache. Sacked 5 occasions and hit on 4 different events, he repeatedly clutched his arm as if to forestall it from falling off. After his remaining go within the Minnesota Vikings’ 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, he hurled his helmet towards the bench, coated his face with a towel after which seemed to be holding again tears as he appeared towards the sky.
The whole evening was a throwback to earlier eras of gladiator soccer, when gamers had been glorified for pushing by accidents that will cripple mere mortals. Because it seems, Wentz was taking part in with a torn labrum and fractured socket brought on by a dislocation he suffered on Oct. 5 in opposition to the Browns. He mentioned Thursday evening that he may nonetheless operate effectively sufficient to assist the crew, and coach Kevin O’Connell mentioned that Wentz instructed him repeatedly he may proceed taking part in.
The scene was all in service of a bigger purpose that will have been sneered at in earlier many years: defending a pair of younger quarterbacks who supply extra long-term worth to the Vikings than Wentz.
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So long as Wentz stayed within the recreation, second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy was ineligible to play. Because the designated emergency third quarterback, and in his sixth week of restoration from a excessive proper ankle sprain, McCarthy may play provided that each Wentz and No. 2 quarterback Max Brosmer had been dominated out by medical officers.
With tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill each sidelined by knee accidents, and the Vikings utilizing a transformed guard (Blake Brandel) at heart, O’Connell mentioned afterward he didn’t wish to topic the undrafted rookie Brosmer — a lot much less McCarthy — to the carnage.
“Carson’s a veteran participant,” O’Connell mentioned, “and he understands a few of our circumstances [Thursday night]. I feel it is very troublesome to ask [Brosmer] to go in there for his first efficiency and should be weathering it a bit of bit for the group.”
Wentz sheltered McCarthy and Brosmer for so long as he may, however now it is time to discover out whether or not both of them can play. McCarthy is anticipated to renew his position because the starter Sunday in opposition to the Detroit Lions (1 p.m. ET, Fox). Brosmer, signed in Might as an undrafted rookie, can be his backup. Collectively, they’ve thrown a complete of 49 NFL passes and performed 122 regular-season snaps. McCarthy, the No. 10 choose within the 2025 NFL draft, has sat out 23 of a doable 25 video games in his NFL profession (together with the playoffs) due to the sprained ankle and a torn proper meniscus that value him all of final season.
The Vikings in all probability will signal a 3rd quarterback to spherical out the depth chart, however for all intents and functions, they’ve reached a important level of their long-term crew constructing course of. The crew pushed again McCarthy’s return for so long as doable, believing that he was not outfitted to proceed his growth if he could not absolutely plant on his proper foot or escape the pocket successfully.
It now has 10 video games, assuming McCarthy stays wholesome, to find out methods to proceed subsequent offseason.
McCarthy’s first two begins of 2025 left him with the NFL’s second-worst QBR (20.3). Within the season opener, he led a livid comeback in a 27-24 victory over the Chicago Bears, accounting for 3 touchdowns within the fourth quarter. However within the different seven quarters, he accomplished 55% of his passes for 214 yards whereas committing 4 turnovers and taking 9 sacks.
McCarthy understandably wanted time to adapt to the velocity of the NFL recreation. He now has a condensed runway for that to occur by the top of his second season. It’d sound dramatic for a quarterback who will not flip 23 till January, however the Vikings might want to render a minimum of some judgment on his future over the subsequent 2½ months.
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Will McCarthy reveal sufficient growth to enter 2026 because the Vikings’ unquestioned starter? Or will they should discover a veteran to compete with him, because the Indianapolis Colts did this offseason in pairing Daniel Jones with 2023 first-round choose Anthony Richardson Sr.?
Jones’ MVP-like efficiency has been a dagger for many who have second-guessed the Vikings’ resolution to show over the keys to McCarthy final spring. Jones spent the ultimate six weeks of the 2024 common season on Minnesota’s apply squad and turned down a suggestion to return. Their 2024 starter, Sam Darnold, can be having an MVP-like season with the Seattle Seahawks after the Vikings declined to make use of the franchise tag to retain him throughout the offseason. It has additionally been inconceivable to disregard Aaron Rodgers’ resurgent season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the place he signed after the Vikings handed on his providers.
There’s nothing the Vikings can do now about these judgments. They believed they’d a powerful sufficient crew round McCarthy to assist his growth in actual time. At 3-4, the Vikings might need overestimated the standard of their roster. However they’re nonetheless poised to generate a a lot bigger pattern measurement on McCarthy’s aptitude because the season winds down. If he cannot keep wholesome, Brosmer will benefit the subsequent look.
An individual with information of the Vikings’ pondering half-joked that O’Connell left Wentz in final Thursday’s recreation as a result of Brosmer — who had a powerful coaching camp and preseason — would possibly show a greater short-term choice than McCarthy. With Wentz completed for the season, now’s the time to seek out out who — if anybody — the Vikings can transfer ahead with at quarterback.
