The long-term future of the quarterback position for the Vikings is not a mystery.
It’s J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft, the guy who started the first two games of this season before being temporarily shelved by a sprained ankle and the player to whom they have affixed Super Bowl dreams.
The present situation is not a mystery, either. Veteran Carson Wentz stepped in Sunday for McCarthy and efficiently played a “point guard” version of the position, according to head coach Kevin O’Connell. Wentz generally made good and quick decisions while getting the ball in the hands of the Vikings’ playmakers in a 48-10 win over Cincinnati.
Where things could get murky, though, is in the near future. Patrick Reusse and I talked about that on Monday’s Daily Delivery podcast, but let’s play out some scenarios here as well at the start of today’s 10 things to know:
- CBS’s Tracy Wolfson reported that the expectation is that Wentz not only plays next week against the Steelers but also gets the second overseas game against the Browns. That could change based on McCarthy’s healing process, but what if Wentz does indeed play both of those games ... and plays well ... and the Vikings win both to go to 4-1. There’s a bye week after that, giving McCarthy plenty of time to get healthy. What do you do at QB then? “I keep playing Carson Wentz,” Reusse said. “And guess what? So will they.”
- I’m not sure I fully buy into that because of everything the Vikings have invested in McCarthy and their keen interest in continuing his development, but it would be hard to go away from Wentz at that point. And when Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell was asked if McCarthy would resume his place on the field when he’s healthy, the coach gave a long response that included this: “It doesn’t require an answer on that question today.”
- There’s an in-between possibility where the Vikings continue winning but Wentz is exceedingly mediocre (or worse), which would make it far easier to turn things back to McCarthy when he’s healthy. Imagine, say, a couple of 13-10 wins aided mostly by the defense in these next two weeks.
- And of course, if the Vikings drop any games during Wentz’s stint as starter, it would limit any conundrum.
- Complicating everything is the Vikings’ post-bye schedule. It’s the hardest stretch of the season: vs. the Eagles, at the Chargers, at the Lions and vs. the Ravens. Those opponents will stress the Vikings defense in ways it won’t be challenged before the bye, and they will need to score points to keep up. It will be a difficult stretch for either Wentz or McCarthy, the latter of whom must get healthy before any decisions are made. We’ll see how things play out leading up to it.
- Reusse and I talked plenty about the Lynx’s 82-69 win over Phoenix in Game 1 of the WNBA semifinals Sunday. It was another master class in second-half poise and execution by Cheryl Reeve’s team. Here is a postgame Lynx-specific podcast that went up on Sunday after the game:
- Star Tribune columnist Jim Souhan argued that Napheesa Collier should have won the WNBA’s MVP award.
- Royce Lewis hit a pinch-hit homer for the Twins on Sunday in a victory that might have gotten lost in the shuffle of the big Vikings and Lynx wins. Lewis mused about his future after the game, which got my attention: “You never know if it’s going to be your last at-bat here or what‚” he said after the Twins’ final game of the season at Target Field, adding that he has wondered if he will be traded this offseason.
- The Twins finished the season with a Target Field attendance of 1,768,728. That’s the lowest in any non-COVID season since 2000, taking us back deep into the Metrodome days.
- A college football score of interest from the weekend: Cal, which beat the Gophers 27-14 two weeks ago, lost 34-0 to San Diego State.
