Carson Wentz is back in the middle of the conversation again, and that alone tells you how strange his NFL journey has been.
One week he can look like the guy who can thread a throw through traffic while scrambling, the next he’s the quarterback who gives the other sideline a gift. That split-screen version of Wentz has followed him for years, and it’s part of why he still gets such a strong reaction.
His path to this point started far from the spotlight. The lightly recruited quarterback from Bismarck arrived at Century High School at 5’8” as a freshman and finished there at 6’5” as a senior. At North Dakota State, he helped build the Bison into a machine, leading them to five straight FCS titles.
That production was enough to make him the No. 2 overall pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016, even without the major-conference résumé. Wentz looked like a franchise quarterback almost immediately. By his second season, he had made a Pro Bowl and helped Philadelphia jump out to a 6-1 start on the way to the Super Bowl.
Then came the injury that changed everything. Wentz tore his ACL in Week 14, and Nick Foles took over. Foles guided the Eagles past the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game, then won the Super Bowl in Minneapolis.
“It’s just tough knowing that could be you,” said Wentz. “I had my sights set on this thing since I knew we weren’t making the playoffs last year.
I had my sights set on playing in Minneapolis; it’s right down the road from home, it’s meant to be. Here we are.
It just looks different for me.”
From there, the ride got bumpier. Wentz went from leading Philadelphia to an 11-2 record before the injury to playing in a stadium with Nick Foles’ statue in front of it. The next season brought a 5-6 mark, and Foles finished the year after Wentz suffered a back injury.
In 2019, The Philly Voice reported that Wentz was “selfish” and “uncompromising,” creating a locker room distraction. He went 9-7 that year, then 3-8-1 in 12 games before the Eagles turned to Jalen Hurts. After that, the Indianapolis Colts signed him in 2021, and he finished that season at 9-8 as a starter.
Wentz has been on the move ever since. From 2022 to 2024, he appeared in 13 games for the Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Rams, and Kansas City Chiefs, going 3-6 in nine starts.
He had said he wanted to reach the Super Bowl again and win it the next time he got there. Instead, he got there in 2024 as Kansas City’s backup and lost to Hurts and the Eagles.
“It was definitely bittersweet,” Wentz said before Super Bowl LIX. “Without a doubt.”
Minnesota brought him in late last August after trading Sam Howell to the Eagles. He had to pick up the offense fast, then stepped in during Week 3 after J.J.
McCarthy suffered a high ankle sprain. Wentz did enough to steady the group, but a shoulder injury in Week 5 ended his season after Week 7.
The Vikings brought him back in the offseason, and he beat out McCarthy for the backup job. He was forced into action again in Week 1 after Kyler Murray suffered a concussion, then helped Minnesota beat the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears before Murray returned.
Now Murray is struggling to complete passes and dealing with a hamstring injury, which has opened the door for Wentz to possibly take over as the starter. BetMGM even posted a graphic asking whether he can “reverse his story.”
If Kyler misses time can Carson Wentz reverse his story? pic.twitter.com/9nVksk41Mv
- BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) November 3, 2026
For all the debate around him, Wentz still divides people. Some see the uneven play and the reputation for being difficult. Others would love to see the Bismarck native who grew up a Vikings fan put together a Case Keenum-style run and finish the comeback.
Wentz, though, kept the focus on the simplest part of the job ahead of Minnesota’s Monday night game against the Buffalo Bills.
“My goal is just to get a win,” he said. “At the end of the day, this position is judged by wins and losses, and in this building, our goal is to win.”
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