In nine seasons, Wentz has started 95 games, including one in the postseason. He’s thrown for 22,413 yards, 153 touchdowns and 67 interceptions.
EAGAN, Minn. — It hasn’t even been two weeks, but J.J. McCarthy is taking in everything he can from the only player in the quarterback room with an NFL start.
“Just talking with Coach Wentz,” said McCarthy with a smile when asked about his preparation for his NFL debut on Monday night against the Chicago Bears.
While not actually a coach, the Vikings signed veteran quarterback Carson Wentz for just that reason. The former No. 2 overall pick — who played his college ball just up Interstate 94 at North Dakota State in Fargo, North Dakota — has seen just about everything. He brings nearly 100 games of NFL experience and was once an MVP candidate with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017 before injuring his knee during the team’s Super Bowl run.
Wentz returned in 2018, but was never able to recapture the magic from that MVP-caliber season. He was later traded to the Indianapolis Colts in 2021, where he was reunited with former Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich, before being traded to Washington the following year. He then spent time with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023 before backing up Patrick Mahomes last season in Kansas City.
In nine seasons, Wentz has started 95 games, including one in the postseason. He’s thrown for 22,413 yards, 153 touchdowns and 67 interceptions.
Now he’s helping develop a fellow first-round pick in McCarthy.
“We’ve already started talking about expectations, how to handle all of the craziness in life that’s coming his way, and kind of what that entails,” said Wentz. “I’m excited for him. He’s got a good head on his shoulders. He’s young, but I think he’s ready for it.”
McCarthy was 27-1 as a starter in Michigan, helping lead the Wolverines to a national championship in 2023. In college, he wasn’t asked to air it out much — only averaging about 22 passes per game — but showed he can win football games. McCarthy’s winning ways even go back to high school, where he was 36-2 as a starter.
“Watching him in college, he definitely has it,” said Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson. “Definitely has the winning attitude, the dog mentality, just that killer mode, so it’s just having that same mentality here. … It’s just all about him calling the play, getting the ball into our hands and letting everything else work for itself.”
McCarthy said he’s anticipating some emotions when he first walks out onto Soldier Field, which is located about 15 miles away from his childhood home in La Grange Park, Illinois. He’s been talking with Wentz, who won his NFL debut back in 2016 after throwing for 278 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Wentz was also named the NFL Rookie of the Week, the first of three he earned throughout his rookie campaign.
“He’s breaking down, like, when he was going through his first start and when he was playing at Soldier [Field] at night,” McCarthy said of Wentz. “Most important thing … is staying locked into the simple things. Locked into what my job is that play, and then reacting to what the defense is giving me.”
For Wentz, he said that helped him engineer a near-perfect first drive, completing 4 of 5 passes for 57 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown pass. From then on, he said, it started to feel natural.
“For me, that first drive kind of calmed me down,” said Wentz. “I felt like I belonged now and kind of got my feet wet. It was just ball from there.”
Wentz’s second NFL start took place at Soldier Field — on a Monday night — and while he didn’t put up the same numbers he did in his debut, Wentz still came away with the victory.
“It’s just football, still,” Wentz said. “Don’t need to make it bigger than it is. Everybody else can, but for us on the field, it’s still just the same ball game we’ve played our whole life.”
The same ball game in which McCarthy has gone 63-3 as a starter since 2021.
“I know I’m going to be amped up, but at the end of the day, I know coach [Kevin] O’Connell is going to put me in a great position and I know my teammates around me are going to do everything they can to make sure we’re successful each and every play,” said McCarthy. “It’s just stay present, stay calm and centered.”