Carson Wentz takes the reins as Minnesota faces a pivotal divisional clash, grappling with a staggering eleventh quarterback change during Kevin O’Connell’s injury-plagued five-year tenure.
Stop me if you've heard this before in the last five years: The Minnesota Vikings will be starting their backup quarterback on Sunday.
The common phrase has not gotten any less jarring.
The Vikings will be without free agent addition Kyler Murray at quarterback on Sunday. As expected, Carson Wentz will be the starter.
ESPN NFL insider Kevin Seifert updated the Vikings' injury report with an interesting comment on what it means for the team this season. Here's some of what Seifert had to say on the Vikings' frustrating recurring issue.
"The news marks the 11th time the Vikings have changed starting quarterbacks during a season in O'Connell's five-year tenure. Most of those moves were necessitated by injuries, including those to Week 1 starters Kirk Cousins in 2023 and J.J. McCarthy in 2025.
Wentz started five games in place of McCarthy last season, posting a 2-3 record, before undergoing season-ending surgery on his left shoulder. The Vikings re-signed Wentz one week after signing Murray in March in an effort to ensure better depth at the position. Murray won a training camp competition with McCarthy for the starting job, and O'Connell decided that he preferred Wentz in the backup role because of his experience.
That decision passed the test in Week 1, when Wentz completed 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns after replacing Murray against the Packers. ...
Meanwhile, the Vikings won't have receiver Jauan Jennings against the Bears. Jennings missed the practice week to attend to a family matter. Right tackle Brian O'Neill, who suffered a knee injury in practice Wednesday and sat out Thursday, returned to practice on a limited basis Friday and is listed as questionable on the injury report."
Sep 13, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz (11) and Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) meet after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn ImagesIt's certainly suboptimal to make 11 quarterback changes in five seasons, to say the least. It's the current reality of what the Vikings face.
Minnesota does not have to take their next matchup running scared. Backup quarterback Carson Wentz is more than capable of leading the Vikings to a win over the Chicago Bears. That said, the timing of the injury works against the team.
The Vikings would obviously prefer to face the Bears, perhaps their greatest competition to win the NFC North, with their full assortment of players. That includes starting quarterback Kyler Murray.
It goes without saying that this game could be the difference in winning and losing the division after the Vikings pulled off a huge 39-22 victory last week. They will look to bring the best out of Wentz when they take the field Sunday.
