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Kevin Seifert
EAGAN, Minn. — Carson Wentz took a dramatic step Wednesday to defuse the controversy over his painful final appearance as the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback, saying he bears no ill will toward the franchise and making clear he did not want coach Kevin O’Connell to remove him from last Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
«This isn’t my first rodeo,» said Wentz, who was placed on injured reserve this week and soon will have season-ending surgery to repair his left shoulder. «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.»
Wentz grimaced in pain throughout the Vikings’ 37-10 loss, the result of a torn labrum and fractured shoulder socket he suffered Oct. 5 when he dislocated the shoulder during a Week 5 game against the Cleveland Browns. He played with the injury in Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles after using the Vikings’ bye week to rest and recover, but a short week of preparation entering Thursday night’s game left the shoulder particularly tender.
The Vikings trailed 31-10 early in the fourth quarter, but rookie backup Max Brosmer did not replace him until 1:56 remained. After getting hit on his final pass, Wentz hurled his helmet to the sideline, covered his face with a towel and appeared to be holding back tears as he looked to the sky.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-28.
«The way we operate, where we believe we’re out of reach might be a little different than how folks watching the game might believe it to be,» O’Connell said. «And we’ve had some games where, thank goodness, we had that mindset. We found a way to win some of those, and that’s just the belief that the guys have, and when you’ve got a guy like that that’s committed to play through something, as long as the medical staff doesn’t give me any new information to that, that’s kind of how that took place.»
J.J. McCarthy’s return as the Vikings’ starter after a five-game absence. Brosmer will serve as McCarthy’s backup, and newly signed John Wolford will provide additional depth.
As he spoke Wednesday, Wentz glanced at his watch several times to see if his wife, Madison, had messaged to say she was in labor. The couple is expecting their fourth child this week, and then afterward Wentz will schedule the surgery.
«The public backlash and different things that I’m being told are out there I think is personally kind of crazy,» he said. «Nobody’s in this building. Nobody’s in these conversations. Nobody knows what’s truly going on and transpiring behind these walls. And I can just honestly say this place has been super supportive and super helpful this whole time, and I’m grateful for that.»
