Insiders Confused by Vikings QB Plan… Which Includes Carson Wentz?

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The NFL offseason is officially upon us. The Minnesota Vikings have been hanging out with the rest of the league down in Indianapolis all week at the scouting combine, which peaks Saturday when quarterbacks are scheduled to throw and do workouts, before the league’s annual offseason kickoff begins to wind down.

But to this point, nobody in Indy has been able to grasp how the Vikings plan to fix their current QB situation, a conundrum that led to one of the more interesting two-plus minutes of Vikings content so far this offseason Friday afternoon on ESPN’s NFL Live, which was broadcasting from Lucas Oil Stadium.

NFL insiders can’t get an offseason read on Minnesota Vikings

It all started when top NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the Minnesota Vikings are trying to bring in a quarterback who can “challenge JJ McCarthy, yet not really threaten him”, which he used to segway into the possibility of bringing back Daniel Jones.

However, the response from his colleagues Peter Schrager and Louis Riddick quickly got Schefty backpedaling, since Daniel Jones would appear to be more than just competition for McCarthy, especially once healthy.

Schefter: “Minnesota knows it has to find the right veteran quarterback to bring in to challenge JJ McCarthy, yet not really threaten him. So is that a player, like a Daniel Jones, depending on what the Indianapolis Colts do with their franchise tag.

You’d think they are going to go ahead and tag Jones to some extent…If it’s a transition tag, then maybe the Vikings could see an opening there to step in and get something done. But there’s a lot of quarterback options and everybody around the league knows that Minnesota has to do something to add to the room and compliment the position.”

Schrager: “The Daniel Jones thing is interesting because Kwesi lost his job…not just for letting Sam Darnold but also Daniel Jones walk out of the building, was really what the conversation was. I think Kyler is another one where you’re saying, ‘that’s a real challenge’.

Daniel Jones and Kyler, if you’re signing those guys that’s, ‘Hey JJ, you might not be the future, we’re going with this guy. But if it’s Geno [Smith], if it’s Joe Flacco, then it’s a different conversation….so I think it’s wide open.”

NFL Live – ESPN

Schrager and Riddick’s pushback on Schefter’s mention of Daniel Jones stems from Jones being miles ahead of McCarthy as an NFL quarterback. Simply put, if the Vikings are gunning for a Daniel Jones or Kyler Murray type, JJ McCarthy’s starting job feels good as gone.

However, should the Vikings lean more toward an aging veterans, like Geno Smith or Joe Flacco, it would signal more of a future belief in their 2024 No. 10 overall draft pick. In other words, Jones and Murray are clearly the barometer for Minnesota’s QB intentions over the next month.

Expect insiders to hyper-focus on Vikings next week

But because neither Schefter or Schrager have a real feel for what the MN Vikings are thinking, the insiders can’t help but assume their QB search is still “wide open”.

Over the next few days, Schefter, Schrager, Riddick and dozens of other NFL reporters will leave Indianapolis to catch up on sleep, compare notes and double back with combine contacts, in hopes of formulating a clearer picture of the next couple months for each team.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Owners Done Spending on Roster

But after watching these insiders struggle to get a read on the Minnesota Vikings for the last week, I expect them to be extra focused on what’s happening out of TCO Performance Center between now and the legal tampering period on March 9 (11 a.m. CT).

Minnesota Vikings bringing Carson Wentz back for sure…?

One thing Schefter apparently feels strongly about, however, is Carson Wentz returning to the Vikings for 2026, as the team’s second or third string quarterback, depending on how McCarthy slots in. Unfortunately, I’m not sure what Wentz’ return would mean for former Golden Gopher, Max Brosmer.

Schefter: “Kyler, Geno, Daniel Jones, somebody [is coming into Minnesota]. that’s the point.”

Schrager: “Carson Wentz will not be the backup next year going into the [Vikings] season.”

Schefter: “But I expect him to be back in Minnesota, but there will be another guy [too].

NFL Live – ESPN
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