No. 2 QB Carson Wentz Gives Vikings Security, Thielen Must Follow

The addition of Carson Wentz is excellent insurance for Kevin O’Connell’s offense. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

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Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has some insurance if untested QB1 J.J. McCarthy faces any major bumps in the road on his way to becoming a superstar in the NFL.

That is what the Vikings are expecting because McCarthy has the arm strength, accuracy, athleticism, intelligence and hunger to lead the team to peak performances throughout the upcoming season. But if McCarthy struggles significantly or suffers a serious injury as he did a year ago, the Vikings have a backup quarterback who understands what is needed to perform in the NFL.

O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have a significant backup quarterback in Carson Wentz on the roster. Neither man liked what he saw from Sam Howell this summer and while rookie free agent Max Brosmer opened eyes with his performance, the Vikings knew they could not go into their season opener a week from Monday against the Chicago Bears with Brosmer as the next man up. Howell was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Wentz backed up Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes last year and he has nine years of NFL experience under his belt, including five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. Wentz may not be a perfect quarterback but he understands what is required of the position and once he gets 2-3 weeks to work with O’Connell, he is bound to be better at his job than he is as he arrives in the Twin Cities.

Wentz has started 94 games in his career and has completed 62.7 percent of the passes he has thrown for 22,410 yards with 153 touchdowns and 67 interceptions. Suddenly, the Vikings are secure at the backup QB position.

The next job at hand is bringing in a wide receiver who can complement Justin Jefferson while Jordan Addison serves his three-game suspension.

Veteran wideout Adam Thielen would be excellent fit

That receiver is almost certainly Adam Thielen of the Carolina Panthers. Thielen is a former Viking who understands O’Connell’s offense perfectly because he played a key role on the team in the 2022 season, O’Connell’s first year as head coach. He caught 70 passes for 716 yards and 6 touchdowns that season, and he understood what was required to be effective even though he was no longer the team’s top receiver.

Thielen spent the first nine years of his career with the Vikings before the team parted company with him in order to gain flexibility with the salary cap. At the end of the 2022 season, the Vikings were in deep trouble in that area and Thielen was viewed as expendable. The Vikings were able to bring in Addison through the draft, and that pick turned out to be a winner because Addison displayed game-changing speed and impressive receiving skills.

Addison will miss the first three games of the season due to a league-imposed suspension, and the Vikings need someone to work alongside Jefferson. They might have been able to get by without bringing in somebody new, but Jalen Nailor’s hand injury means that the team’s No. 3 receiver is operating at less than full strength.

Tight end T.J. Hockenson is one of the best in the league at his position and he has developed a wonderful rapport with McCarthy this summer, but the team’s offense will suffer early on without a competent No. 2 receiver.

The acquisition of Thielen is very likely to happen within the next 48 hours. While the Panthers list him as their starting slot receiver, the team is counting on rookie Tetairoa McMillan and Xavier Legette as their primary outside receivers. This should make Thielen available in a trade.

It’s essential that Thielen is the receiver the Vikings bring into the fold. He knows the Vikings/O’Connell system and can step in and perform at an effective level in Week One against the Bears and at an expert level in Week Two against the Falcons.

The Vikings can’t find another receiver on short notice that understands the nuances of O’Connell’s offense.