The Vikings added a veteran QB to their roster on Wednesday, signing John Wolford to their practice squad as an emergency third QB behind J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer.
Wolford, who’s played in seven NFL games, was with the Rams from 2020-22 and overlapped with Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell during his two seasons as the Rams’ offensive coordinator. Wolford hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2022, and spent time on the Buccaneers’ and Jaguars’ practice squads in 2023 and 2024. He’s made four career starts, playing once for the Rams while O’Connell was there and starting three games in 2022.
He joins the Vikings two days after the team announced Carson Wentz will have season-ending surgery on the left shoulder injury he sustained on Oct. 5 in London. Wentz dislocated his shoulder, fracturing his shoulder socket and tearing his labrum in the process, and opted for surgery with McCarthy ready to come back from a high ankle sprain this week to start against the Lions.
The Vikings will likely have Brosmer active as the backup behind McCarthy on Sunday in Detroit, with Wolford as the No. 3 QB in case both players are injured, though the team would have to make him part of the active roster by Sunday to use him.
