The Minnesota Vikings have added another star to their roster, Carson Wentz, ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
Wentz, 33, signed a one-year contract with the Vikings on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
Wentz is the second veteran quarterback and second former No. 1 overall draft pick to team with McCarthy on the Vikings’ roster this NFL offseason.
The deal comes after the Vikings signed former Cardinals starter Kyler Murray to a one-year contract last week to compete with McCarthy for the starting quarterback job.
Re-signing Wentz to a one-year deal means the Vikings aim to protect themselves against the quarterback issues that derailed their 2025 campaign.
Keeping the 33-year-old on the roster not only serves as a backup plan, but also provides O’Connell with a veteran familiar with the offense as Murray closes the gap and McCarthy continues his development.
Wentz started five games in place of McCarthy in the league’s final season, providing consistent performances in O’Connell’s offense before a shoulder dislocation put his career on hold.
Wentz attempted to continue playing while injured, but was clearly limited and was ultimately sidelined for the remainder of the season.
In his five starts, he completed 65.1 percent of 169 pass attempts for 1,216 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions.
Wentz has been the starting quarterback in 99 NFL games, but has served as a full-time backup for the past three seasons.
Wentz made the Pro Bowl in 2017 and was also named second-team All-Pro for that campaign.
Wentz was part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII championship team. Although the terms of Wentz’s one-year contract have not been made public, in the last NFL season, he signed a one-year contract worth up to $1.42 million.
