Injury news involving a former Kansas City Chiefs quarterback surfaced just before the Week 8 Monday Night Football matchup against the Washington Commanders, as veteran Carson Wentz was ruled out for the remainder of the 2025 season.
“[Minnesota] Vikings QB Carson Wentz will undergo season-ending surgery on his left shoulder, sources tell The Insiders,” NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo reported on October 27.
Adding: “Wentz battled through the injury in last week’s game against the [Los Angeles] Chargers, but after further evaluation, a procedure was deemed necessary.”
Wentz spent the 2024 campaign as Patrick Mahomes’ primary backup QB in Kansas City, and he ended up turning that Chiefs stint into a part-time starting job with the Vikings after second-year signal-caller J.J. McCarthy suffered an early injury.
Now, McCarthy is expected to return in Week 9, but instead of shifting back into the QB2 role, Wentz’s 2025 campaign will unfortunately end.
Carson Wentz Looked Better With the Vikings Than the Chiefs Before His Week 8 Injury
Chiefs fans only really saw Wentz in action once, outside of the 2024 preseason. That lone start came in Week 18, as Wentz gave Mahomes the final game off, and it did not go well at all.
Facing the Denver Broncos, Wentz completed 10 of 17 passing attempts for 98 yards and zero touchdowns. He was also sacked 4 times behind an offensive line that included several backups, and the Chiefs were shut out by a score of 38-0.
Wentz’s chance of securing a decent NFL opportunity in free agency felt bleak after that Week 18 showing, but fate aligned as the Vikings needed a veteran backup late in the offseason process.
With Minnesota, Wentz actually turned back the clocks a little bit, at least more than he did in KC.
He started all 5 of his Vikings appearances, throwing for a 65.1% completion rating and achieving a 2-3 record. However, turnovers were still an issue for Wentz in Minnesota, as he threw 5 interceptions compared to just 6 touchdowns.
Wentz also led 1 game-winning drive with the Vikes despite a poor NFL QBR of 39.4 out of 100.
If Wentz chooses to continue his career in 2026 at age 33, he’ll likely have to settle for another backup role. The veteran’s past few QB1 stints have proven that his starting days appear to be over.
Chiefs Have Clear QB Advantage vs. Commanders
The Chiefs have moved on from Wentz at QB2, signing Gardner Minshew, but similar to most KC backups, Minshew hasn’t had to enter many games.
Kansas City’s Week 8 opponent does not have the same luxury right now, as they’ve been forced to start backup Marcus Mariota twice already in 2025, and Monday Night Football versus the Chiefs will be start number three.
Mariota has a wealth of experience in this league, including time as a franchise QB and full-time starter. That’s shown this season, as the former Tennessee Titans draft pick has gone 1-1 so far for Washington.
While Mariota has been serviceable, the Chiefs have the clear quarterback advantage in this MNF matchup. Mahomes is a former two-time NFL MVP, and Mariota has a career completion percentage of 62.9% and a 2025 QBR of 59.1 out of 100.
In order to beat KC in Week 8, Mariota will need some help from the Commanders’ defense and rushing attack. If he can get that, it’s possible Washington pulls off the upset on national television.
Ex-Chiefs QB Abruptly Suffers Season-Ending Injury: Report