Carson Wentz’s Vikings journey feels like a scene straight out of a Netflix series, with the drama dialed up to eleven. A quarterback who has suited up for six different NFL teams in six consecutive seasons, now thrust into the spotlight for the franchise he rooted for as a kid. And it all happened because young starter J.J. McCarthy hit the injury bench again, forcing Wentz into the starting role against the Bengals in the coming Week 3 clash.

“I guess the Vikings could do worse, and they have.” Mike Florio admits in a recent edition of PFT. “They brought Josh Dobbs in off the street, and look how well he did. So, I don’t know. I’m curious to see what happens here because there’s a chance it’s going to work,” he said, capturing the mix of skepticism and hope bouncing around Minnesota. Carson Wentz’s pedigree speaks for itself: a serious contender in his prime who’s been around winners, learning behind future Hall of Famers like Patrick Mahomes and Matthew Stafford. But can the worn-down veteran turn that knowledge into victories in purple and gold? If he does, it might be bad news for McCarthy.

As Mike Florio captured the sticky situation for Minnesota, “If JJ McCarthy comes back, that’s when it gets interesting. And I addressed this question yesterday… If Wentz is playing well, you apply the 100% rule to JJ McCarthy. You don’t take his job away from him, but if Wentz has the hot hand, you let him keep going.” Wentz has the stats to back up his brief periods of dominance. A 153 TDs across 9 NFL seasons, his best year being the 2019 season with the Eagles, where he threw for 4,039 yards and 27 TDs. Off the field in Minnesota, the chemistry pieces are there. The Vikings boast weapons like Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, TJ Hockenson, and Jordan Mason. Kevin O’Connell’s style has earned a reputation for making QBs look good. But if that works for Carson Wentz, what does that mean for McCarthy’s year 2?

Last season, JJ McCarthy had already become the first rookie to miss his first season. At the time, Sam Darnold went in for a 14-3 record with a career-best 4,313 yards and 35 TDs. If Wentz can bring the Vikings some victories while McCarthy heals, he might stick around as the QB1 even after McCarthy comes back. Michael Holley put it bluntly: “It will work. The question is just how long will it work?” That’s the question Minnesota is rolling the dice on. They need a full house to fix their shaky offense, and Wentz might be the wildcard they plug in. And for McCarthy, it could be a second act to a troubling saga where the future in purple gets put on pause twice before it even really starts. His latest injury has reshuffled the Vikings’ plans… again.

JJ McCarthy’s latest injury update

After their Week 2, 22-6 loss against the Falcons, an ankle sprain has sidelined J.J. McCarthy. He’s not on the IR, but will certainly miss some time going forward. As HC Kevin O’Connell addressed it in a recent presser, “He’s responding well early on to treatment and things. – He’s in a boot and kinda letting that thing settle down when not getting treatment. Still heavily involved in meetings and installs and everything. Had great energy and enthusiasm to kind of attack it in any way he can for now. … He’s still in the early stages of it.” With this update, he is set to miss at least two to four weeks. That gives Wentz plenty of time to shine through.

As for Wentz, the coach is expecting a great performance against the Bengals in Week 3. O’Connell praised his experience and noted that Wentz could be the critical piece to get them their second win of the season. As O’Connell put it, “you’ve got a guy that’s played at a really high level, played a lot of football. And ultimately is at a place in his career where I think you can really tap into a lot of that while also shaping a game plan he’s comfortable with and he can go out and have consistent success.” The question is, can Wentz carry the team through the next few weeks? And if he does, will he stay on as the QB1 as JJ McCarthy watches another season unfold from the sidelines?

As this drama unfolds, one thing is certain. The Vikings front office is in a holding pattern. They’re watching to see if Carson Wentz can play the spoiler to JJ McCarthy’s storyline, or if this ride ends at yet another crossroads in Minnesota’s quarterback carousel.