Vikings eye Carson Wentz as QB room looks shakier than expected

With the NFL preseason almost officially finished, it feels somewhat silly that Carson Wentz is still a free agent quarterback. Perhaps that's his choice, that the veteran is waiting for the right situation before signing for the 2025 campaign. But if NFL franchise are just dragging their feet, it makes little sense.

Fortunately for Wentz's sake, there's some movement before a new season begins. The Minnesota Vikings have reached out to Wentz for a workout on Saturday.

The Vikings just completed their preseason schedule with a 23-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans, and are now turning their full attention to sorting out the competition at each position in anticipation of Tuesday's roster cuts deadline.

The former Chiefs QB is surprisingly still available in free agency.

At present, J.J. McCarthy is the starting quarterback, with Sam Howell, Brett Rypien, and Max Brosmer hoping for some spot behind him on the Vikings' Week 1 roster. That might look like an already full QB room, but Wentz has a real opportunity before him.

Given that McCarthy is so young with a likely mercurial performance ahead in his first year as a starter, it makes sense to give him a secure backup. Howell was brought in to provide just that, but his preseason performance has only made the position feel shakier overall. Rypien was never going to make this team, and Brosmer is a rookie free agent.

Wentz has 95 career starts under his belt, so experience isn't a concern with him. Last season, Wentz spent the year backing up Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs after a year of doing the same for Matthew Stafford with the L.A. Rams.

With only 43 passing attempts in the last two years, it might be hard to project what Wentz brings to the position at this stage of his career, but the ceiling for a backup quarterback is never going to scintillate. Instead, he can be a steady presence with an experienced voice in the QB room for a blossoming first-year starter.

Given that the other options on the open market are Tim Boyle or C.J. Beathard, it's hard to believe Wentz is still waiting for a dance partner. He's by far the best option available at the game's most important position. The Chiefs might have moved on (Gardner Minshew) but Wentz should still be employed by some team in 2025.