NFL journeyman Carson Wentz will be taking over for injured Minnesota QB J.J. McCarthy on Sunday in what will be his 99th contest in the NFL. But he's expecting this one to be a touch more special than the other 98.
As for why? We'll let him tell you that.
"I grew up rooting for [the Vikings], you know. It's one of those things, you play long enough and you kind of forget about those things because it's football. You're bouncing around teams. But being here, I kind of alluded to it when I first got here, just how cool it is for me to know I used to cheer for the guys I'm walking down the hallway seeing," Wentz said Wednesday.
"Used to come to the Metrodome and I was waving the towel, I was part of the Skol chants, all the things. And so running out of that tunnel this week will probably hit me a little bit different in a really cool, kind of surreal way."
Watch that sweet answer below:
It'll be surreal Sunday for @cj_wentz as he runs out of the tunnel as the starter for the team he grew up cheering for. pic.twitter.com/S207DgZeks
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 17, 2025
McCarthy is dealing with an ankle sprain that's expected to keep him sidelined for two to four weeks. It's a tough break for the sophomore QB, who missed out on his rookie season with a knee injury, but Wentz has tried to help him keep it in perspective.
"I talked to him quite a bit when he found out," Wentz said. "I just told him 'Career's long.' This might feel like so much going on right now, but I just told him 'Hey, stay the course.'"
Wentz, a former Eagles, Colts, Commanders, Rams and Chiefs QB, will make his Vikings debut against Cincinnati backup Jake Browning on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Carson Wentz Reveals Why Upcoming Vikings Start Will Be 'Surreal' For Him .
