Carson Wentz is making one thing clear: it’s no one on the Vikings’ fault that he played through his season-ending injury.
Wentz suffered a dislocated shoulder and torn labrum during the Vikings’ Week 5 game against the Browns — ESPN first reported — before playing in Weeks 7 and 8 after a bye.
It was in the latter game, a Thursday night loss to the Chargers, that the 32-year-old was clearly in pain as he threw for 144 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
The veteran quarterback is set to have shoulder surgery, and told reporters Wednesday it was his decision to continue playing through the injury.
“This isn’t my first rodeo,” Wentz said. “I’m not an idiot. I know what I was signing up for going out there. Nobody was forcing me, pressuring me, any of those things. Everybody’s handled this tremendously. Communication’s been phenomenal from coaches, trainers, all the things. I knew what we were doing all along.”
Wentz has not started double-digit games in a season for a team since the 2021 campaign with the Colts, so getting an opportunity with the Vikings was a chance he did not want to pass up.
“I’m not going to lie. It’s fun. It’s what I grew up dreaming of doing. And when you lose it for a little bit, it’s hard to want to give it up,” Wentz said. “So even with pain, and all the things that I knew were going to come with it, [I wanted] to play. I want to be out there, and I want to be helping this team however I can.”
The 3-4 Vikings will now turn back to second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who has not played since suffering an ankle injury during a Week 2 loss.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said the Michigan product will have a full week of practice and should be ready to go full-tilt on Sunday against the NFC North rival Lions.
“He’s made multiple comments to me throughout the rehab about being able to watch Carson [Wentz] play the position, play it as a new player in our offense and see ways he was able to distribute the football, get the ball out of his hands, completions, and the positive effect that had on the offense in every capacity,” O’Connell said. “So, excited about getting on the field.”
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Earlier this week, the team added John Wolford to its practice squad for quarterback depth.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
