It’s been a decade since Carson Wentz was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft out of North Dakota State.
And in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season, things are already going differently than Wentz would’ve planned.
Wentz was slated to be QB2 for the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, behind Kyler Murray. The Vikings signed Murray in the offseason after the Arizona Cardinals cut the former Oklahoma star.
Murray beat out J.J. McCarthy in the preseason, and McCarthy was inactive on Sunday in favor of Wentz in the backup role.
But a backup QB is only one play away, and that play happened early in Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers.
By the end of the first quarter, Wentz was in the game.
Why Is Carson Wentz Playing?
Wentz is playing because Murray took a huge hit to the head.
Murray was removed from the game and being evaluated for a concussion, and because Wentz was the QB2, that made him QB1 by default.
Wentz is in his second season in Minnesota, and he was a mixed bag last season. He went 2-3 in five games as a starter.
The stats were pretty solid in 2025 for Wentz, with a 65.1% completion rate, 1,216 passing yards and six touchdowns compared to five interceptions. He also ran 11 times for 57 yards.
It was a bit of a surprise that Wentz actually got the No. 2 QB job on Sunday to begin with.
The Vikings weren’t planning on a Murray injury, though, and that complicated everything more.
Carson Wentz as a Winner
Wentz was a member of five national championship teams at NDSU, including two as their starting quarterback for the FCS powerhouse.
He was also a Super Bowl champion with the Eagles in 2019, although that’s when Nick Foles stepped up with Wentz injured.
Wentz hasn’t been quite as good in the NFL regular season. He has a career 49-49-1 record as a starter.
That won’t change on Sunday because he didn’t start, but if Murray stays out, maybe Wentz will get another start a lot sooner than he was planning.
Why NDSU Legend Carson Wentz is Playing QB for Vikings, not Kyler Murray