J.J. McCarthy is the Vikings starting quarterback of the future but a recent signing could put more pressure on his shoulders. After Minnesota traded Sam Howell to the Philadelphia Eagles, they signed former second overall pick Carson Wentz as the new backup to McCarthy.
Wentz, who has been a backup for the Rams and Chiefs the past two seasons, seemingly slots in as an insurance policy for the young quarterback. Yet when you compare his history with a player like Howell, there's a better chance fans clamor for Wentz if McCarthy struggles.
Wentz was an MVP frontrunner in 2017, throwing for 3,296 yards and 33 touchdowns before suffering a season-ending injury late in the year. The Eagles went on to win the Super Bowl making Wentz a champion but not as the starter through the playoffs.
That season combined with Wentz's draft pedigree give him an edge over a backup quarterback like Howell who was taken in the fifth round of the 2022 draft.
McCarthy, who missed all of his rookie season because of injury, has the starting job under wraps for the foreseeable future but what if he struggles through the first few weeks of the season? If the Vikings start off 1-3 or 0-4 after winning five straight last season with Sam Darnold, fans will question McCarthy's ability to lead this team.
The Vikes just know that JJ McCarthy ain't it. https://t.co/NaRrygyu7u
— Kevin Madden (@KevinMaddenDC) August 24, 2025
Howell doesn't have the same history as Wentz despite both ending up as career backups. Fans could point to Wentz's success in Philadelphia as a reason for why he should have another chance to prove himself. That is if McCarthy bottoms out early on.
It's still the young quarterback's job to lose and the Wentz signing doesn't change anything but with Kevin O'Connell's track record of revitalizing washed up gunslingers like Darnold, anything is possible.
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