Kevin O’Connell names Carson Wentz as Vikings’ QB2

This is the second-straight week that Singletary has been made a healthy scratch for the Giants. Najee Harris and Tyrone Tracy will serve as the backups to Cam Skattebo. It’s also worth noting that QB J.J. McCarthy, who was acquired from the Vikings earlier this week, is active for Week 4.

Everyone but Harbaugh knew Dart wasn’t returning for the playoffs the moment his meniscus repair procedure was announced. Harbaugh, meanwhile, held out hope that his starting quarterback could return in time for a deep playoff run. Even he isn’t keeping that facade up anymore, though he noted that Dart’s surgery “went well.” Coming off an ugly win, Jameis Winston will make his second start of the year in Week 4. J.J. McCarthy will get a crack at the job when the Giants inevitably start losing.

New York acquired McCarthy from the Vikings on Monday in exchange for a 2027 fifth round draft pick. Hughes spoke with NFL sources who said “the Giants do not give up a fifth-round pick unless they plan to play McCarthy in the near future.” Head coach John Harbaugh and the team’s coaching staff, per Hughes, see McCarthy as a starting-caliber quarterback despite his immense struggles in Minnesota last season. “The Giants welcomed the chance to add a player they view as a competitor, gritty, mobile, and who has all the tools to be a plus passer in the NFL,” Hughes said. With Jameis Winston playing worse than any QB in recent memory, McCarthy could be just a couple weeks away from taking over as New York’s starter. He would be a mild upgrade for Malik Nabers and the rest of the Giants pass catchers.

The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero was the first to report the trade. McCarthy landing with John Harbaugh’s Giants feels a bit too on-the-nose given his connection with Jim Harbaugh during his days at Michigan. McCarthy was at one point competing for the Vikings’ QB1 job in camp with Kyler Murray, but was knocked all the way down to QB3 on the Vikings’ depth chart when Carson Wentz took over for Murray in Week 1 and drew the start in Week 2. Assuming Jameis Winston doesn’t suddenly exceed expectations and lead an efficient passing attack, McCarthy will probably get a shot to start at some point when he gets up to speed with the offense. McCarthy has thrown for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 10 career games while completing 57.6 percent of his passes. We’ll see if a change of scenery is all he needs to turn the corner and live up to the hype that made him the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

If you have ever thrown a football, get an agent and have them contact the New York Giants. McCarthy and Fields join a list that, per previous reports, already included Gardner Minshew, Mac Jones, and Jimmy Garoppolo. Schefter also named Brandon Allen, who was on the Giants’ roster during training camp, as an option. Jameis Winston will get the start in Week 3, but the journeyman passer looked downright awful in relief of Jaxson Dart last week. The team will be forced to make a move at quarterback if he struggles versus the Titans today. McCarthy would be a true Hail Mary for the G-Men, but he does have a strong tie to the Harbaugh brothers via his time at Michigan.

Surprisingly for Wentz, he rushed only three times for six yards. Unsurprisingly, he took three sacks and a few other big hits. It was no matter, as Wentz more than did his job as he avoided turnovers so the Vikings could grind out a rainy victory in the Windy City. With Kyler Murray (concussion) expected back for Week 3 in Tampa Bay, Wentz can be returned to the waiver wire in superflex leagues.

Schefter added that Murray is expected to clear concussion protocol next week. He was limited throughout practice this week before being ruled out on Friday. Murray made progress through the protocol during the week but couldn’t get the green light before the weekend. Carson Wentz will make one more start. Even with another strong showing, Wentz is all but certain to return to backup duties once Murray is healthy.

Wentz played serviceably last week after starting QB Kyler Murray suffered a concussion. The Bears’ pass defense looks like a unit worth targeting in fantasy. Wentz can be viewed as a QB2 with decent upside, though only WR Justin Jefferson can be viewed as the clear-cut safe fantasy starter.

Murray logs his second limited session of the week. He has a chance to play, but we simply will not know his status until the team announces that he has passed the NFL’s concussion protocol. If Vikings QB2 Carson Wentz gets the start against the Bears, he would be a worthwhile QB2 in fantasy.

Murray was in a fencing posture after taking a hit to the head from Javon Bullard in the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Packers. Murray was reportedly in good spirits after the game, but he will have to pass a series of tests in the coming days in time to be cleared for next week’s game against the Bears. While the Vikings are unsure whether or not Murray will be available, it’s not at all uncommon for a concussed player to miss the following week’s game. We’ll see how things unfold over the week, but we wouldn’t be surprised if Carson Wentz draws the start next week with J.J. McCarthy serving as his backup.