Wentz’s Potential Historic Start for Vikings

If JJ McCarthy is unable to start for the Vikings against the Bengals due to an ankle sprain he sustained last weekend against the Falcons, Carson Wentz could step in and make his own mark in history this Sunday.

McCarthy’s future as the starter is uncertain after his injury, which opens the door for Wentz, who could become the first quarterback in NFL history to start for six different teams across six consecutive seasons, as noted by ESPN’s Bilburnwell.

Starting his career with the Eagles in 2020, Wentz has since played with the Colts, Commanders, Rams, and Chiefs before potentially rounding out this streak with the Vikings.

Despite starting 12 games for the Eagles in 2020 and then 17 for the Colts the following year, Wentz has experienced a decline in his playing time since those seasons.

The 32-year-old, who was selected second overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, spent his initial five years with the Eagles before becoming somewhat of a journeyman in the league.

Adding to the team’s challenges, head coach Kevin O’Connell suffered an injury during the third quarter of the recent game against the Falcons, which ended in a 22-6 loss. The incident occurred when Vikings QB scrambled during a second-and-20 play, and linebacker Kaden Elliss hit him from behind.

McCarthy, who ended the game on the sidelines, reported feeling significant pain on Monday. O’Connell expressed his disappointment regarding McCarthy’s situation, emphasizing that mechanics had little to do with his performance.

“This morning, I was pretty crushed about the injury. For JJ, he’s got a long recovery ahead,” O’Connell said. “As a team, we need to be more consistent around him offensively and minimize errors that are out of his control.”