Egan, Minnesota. — Carson Wentz on Wednesday took a decisive step to defuse controversy over his painful final performance as Minnesota Vikingsquarterback, saying he has no ill will toward the franchise and making it clear he doesn't want coach Kevin O'Connell to remove him from the team's game last Thursday. Los Angeles Chargers.
“This isn't my first rodeo,” said Wentz, who was placed on injured reserve this week and will soon be will undergo season-ending surgery to repair his left shoulder. “I'm not an idiot. I know what I signed up for to go there. Nobody forced me, put pressure on me or anything like that.”
Wentz winced in pain During the Vikings' 37–10 loss, he suffered a torn labrum and shoulder fracture on Oct. 5 when he dislocated his shoulder during a Week 5 game against the Vikings. Cleveland Browns. He played with an injury in week seven against Philadelphia Eagles after using the Vikings' bye week to rest and recover, but the short week of preparation for Thursday's game left the shoulder especially tender.
The Vikings trailed 31-10 entering the fourth quarter, but the rookie picked them up. Max Brosmer didn't replace him until 1:56 remained. After being hit on his final pass, Wentz tossed his helmet to the sideline, covered his face with a towel and appeared to hold back tears as he looked up at the sky.
Wentz, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft, set an NFL record earlier this season by starting a game for another team six years in a row. But he hasn't been a full-time NFL starter since 2022, and Wentz said the prospect of playing in “meaningful” games motivated him to stay with the Vikings as long as possible.
“It's fun,” he said. “I'm not going to lie. It's fun. This is what I dreamed of since childhood. And when you lose that even for a moment, it's hard to want to give it up. So even through the pain and everything I knew would come with it, [I wanted] play. I want to be there and I want to help this team in any way I can.”
Although Wentz refused to leave the game, O'Connell was criticized locally and nationally for not removing him until the final minutes. When asked if he thought O'Connell should have taken him out sooner, Wentz responded: “Honestly, no. I appreciate everyone checking in on me and everything – at the end of the day, the trainers, the trainers, no one really knows the level of pain or difficulty that I may be feeling. And I know the TV copies can show things that people on the outside don't see, but I never once felt safe. I've said it many times, it's just pain. It's pain. It's discomfort. I knew surgery was coming, I knew it needed to be fixed, so I thought, “I don't want to come out of this game in that much discomfort.”
Speaking separately to reporters Wednesday, O'Connell said he made a “football decision” to keep Wentz on the roster with the support of the team's medical staff. Despite a 21-point deficit that grew to 24 midway through the quarter, O'Connell said he believed the team still had a chance to win – and that he had an “obligation” to allow a veteran like Wentz to continue playing if he wanted.
Only one NFL team since 1950 has come back from a deficit of 24 points or more in the fourth quarter, according to Elias Sports Bureau research. This happened with the 1987 St. Louis Cardinals, who overcame a 28-3 deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the team. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-28.
“The way we operate when we think we're out of reach may be a little different than how people watching the game might think,” O'Connell said. “And we had a few games where, thank God, we had that mindset. We found a way to win some of them and it's just the belief that the guys have and when you have a guy like that who is committed to going through something without the medical staff giving me any new information on it, that's kind of how it goes.”
In the nationally televised game, Wentz repeatedly winced in pain or clutched his left arm tightly to his chest. O'Connell said he was not familiar with the images aside. When asked what level of pain a player would have to endure to have him removed despite his objections, O'Connell did not answer directly.
“Yes, I think there is an absolute level there,” he said, “and I think you have to make that decision. And ultimately, this is not a decision you make entirely on your own. It comes from a lot more people with experience. Then eventually when you ask the player, “Can you still go? Can you go there and play?” And they said, “Absolutely, nothing has changed.” I can still go. Then you as the head coach have to make a decision and that is my responsibility.”
Wentz returned to Minnesota with the team and decided to undergo surgery Friday to coincide with JJ McCarthy's return to the Vikings' starting lineup after a five-game absence. Brosmer will serve as McCarthy's understudy and the newly signed contract John Wolford will provide additional depth.
Speaking on Wednesday, Wentz glanced at his watch several times to see if his wife, Madison, had texted to say she was in labor. The couple is expecting their fourth child this week, and then Wentz will schedule surgery.
“The public reaction and the different things that people say to me, I personally think are crazy,” he said. “No one is in this building. No one is involved in these conversations. Nobody knows what is really going on and happening behind these walls. And I can just honestly say that this place has been extremely supportive and helpful throughout this time, and I'm grateful for that.”
