Kevin O’Connell Drops Surprising Truth About Carson Wentz That Could Change Everything

So here we are, folks — the Minnesota Vikings heading into Week 3 without their prized young quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, sidelined by an ankle injury. Enter Carson Wentz, the journeyman signal-caller who’s about to make his sixth NFL team debut in as many seasons. Now, isn’t it wild to think a guy who’s bounced around this much might finally find a home, especially under a coach like Kevin O’Connell who’s singing his praises with some serious respect? O’Connell’s confidence in Wentz suggests this isn’t just a stopgap move — it could be a seamless fit for a team hungry not to hit pause on their championship aspirations. But it begs the question: can experience outshine raw talent when the stakes are this high? Let’s dig into what this unexpected quarterback shuffle means for the Vikings — and frankly, for the NFL’s ever-shifting quarterback carousel.

The Minnesota Vikings won’t have their young quarterback in Week 3.

J.J. McCarthy is dealing with an ankle injury, so Carson Wentz will start against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell recently hyped up the veteran ahead of the game.

“One of the blessings of last week was he did get to take every rep in that Thursday practice. … We had a phenomenal Thursday practice. The ball, I don’t think it hit the ground more than one time. He was in total command. … He’s played a ton of football, and he’s carried teams on his back before. He’s not gonna need to do that. He’s gonna just need to go out there and simply do the things that he’s wildly capable of doing,” O’Connell said.

“He’s played a ton of football. He’s carried teams on his back before. He is not gonna need to do that. He’s gonna need to just go out there and simply do the things that he’s widely capable of doing.”#Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell on Carson Wentzpic.twitter.com/0SFOkt9HlH

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) September 16, 2025

This will be the sixth NFL team Wentz has started for in as many seasons, becoming the first quarterback to do so.

That speaks volumes about the state of his career.

It also goes to show that the Vikings could do a lot worse than to have him stepping in.

While they weren’t with the Los Angeles Rams at the same time, O’Connell runs a similar offense to what Wentz learned there, so it could be a seamless fit.

McCarthy hasn’t looked great in his first two NFL starts, and while it’s too early to pull the plug on him, having an experienced veteran as his backup certainly gives Minnesota some confidence.

If Wentz plays well against the Bengals’ vulnerable defense, perhaps the Vikings can give McCarthy another week to heal.

Then, if he struggles again in his return, they might want to consider giving him more time on the sidelines to grow and develop.

Minnesota has a championship-caliber defense, and after winning 14 games last season, it might not want to wait for a young offensive player to get it together.

The post Kevin O’Connell Has Honest Admission About Carson Wentz appeared first on The Cold Wire.