As the Vikings continue to sort through their options for a backup quarterback behind J.J. McCarthy, they brought in a veteran passer whose biggest NFL moments came with the team that won Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Carson Wentz, the North Dakota State product who was the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NFL draft, tried out with the Vikings on Saturday, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. The Vikings’ workout with the 32-year-old Wentz came as they deliberate on the quarterback depth chart ahead of Tuesday’s deadline to cut the roster to 53 players.
Sam Howell, who’s been the No. 2 quarterback throughout training camp after the Vikings acquired him from Seattle, joined McCarthy as one of two quarterbacks to play in the scrimmage the Vikings held to conclude their training camp practices on Wednesday. He did not play in the preseason finale against the Titans on Friday night, when coach Kevin O’Connell said the Vikings split snaps between Max Brosmer and Brett Rypien so each could get a full evaluation before final roster cuts.
“Ultimately, I feel good about where Sam’s at,“ O’Connell said Friday. ”When you look at it first time getting full-time reps in the system, I thought he’s had some real growth. He had a good week of practice, took a lot of reps in our simulated scrimmage the other day. He’s done a lot of good things.”
Howell and Rypien’s uneven performances in preseason games, coupled with the impressive moments Brosmer delivered in the preseason, have complicated the picture for the Vikings as they approach roster cuts. Brosmer, who completed 35 of 58 passes for 364 yards and two touchdowns in the preseason, showed the kind of decisiveness and anticipatory throwing skill that might make him difficult to slip through waivers if the Vikings want to put him on the practice squad.
The tryout for Wentz (which was first reported by ESPN) gave them a chance to look at another veteran option in the event they dispatch a quarterback in the next few days.
While a torn ACL kept Wentz out for the Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl run, as Nick Foles led Philadelphia to a 38-7 win over the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game before winning Super Bowl MVP honors in the Eagles’ victory over the Patriots, it was Wentz’s breakout season that staked Philadelphia to the No. 1 seed that year. He finished third in the NFL MVP vote after throwing 33 touchdown passes against seven interceptions in 13 games before he tore his ACL that December.
The Eagles reached the playoffs just once more in his final three seasons in Philadelphia, though, and he was traded to the Colts after a 2020 season that saw coach Doug Pederson fired.
