Carson Wentz Has a Message for J.J. McCarthy During a Difficult Stretch

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Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy has had anything but an easy and smooth start to his NFL career, but he has a veteran quarterback in Carson Wentz who understands better than most how quickly things can change in the league.

McCarthy entered the summer with an opportunity to compete with Kyler Murray for the Minnesota Vikings' starting quarterback job. That competition ultimately did not go his way, leaving McCarthy to transition into the backup role behind Murray.

Then came injuries and an increasingly uncertain situation surrounding his place in the quarterback room.

On Tuesday, McCarthy split second-team reps with Wentz during practice, adding another layer of intrigue to his situation. While that could simply be the Vikings managing McCarthy after he came out of the preseason matchup against the Baltimore Ravens banged up, it also comes at a time when Wentz appears to be making a case for a larger role.

For McCarthy, it is undoubtedly a challenging period. Wentz, however, is trying to make sure the young quarterback does not allow the circumstances surrounding him to define how he views his career.

"It's definitely hard, it's definitely hard and he's so young," Wentz said. "At the end of the day, he's extremely young and people can, in this day and age with media, social media things, they're so driven by a lot of those things. And it can be tough for young guys."

That perspective is particularly valuable coming from Wentz, who has experienced plenty of adversity throughout his own career. The former No. 2 overall pick has dealt with injuries, changes in teams and expectations, and the pressure that comes with being a highly drafted quarterback. He knows firsthand how difficult it can be when the narrative surrounding a player changes quickly.

Wentz also understands the temptation to pay attention to that outside noise.

"I personally, that's why I don't read a lot of it," Wentz said. "I don't, I'm not engaged in a lot of it."

That is advice McCarthy could benefit from as he works through the current situation. The 23-year-old quarterback has plenty of time to develop, and Wentz believes that is the most important thing McCarthy needs to remember.

"I'm bummed for him, just for the injuries and different things, how they've gone," Wentz said. "But I'm still excited for his future, whatever that may be. He's, again, he's extremely young, extremely talented."

Perhaps most importantly, Wentz wants McCarthy to understand that the current moment is only a small part of his story.

"I would just encourage him to not let whatever's happening in the last couple of weeks define the rest of his story, cuz he's so young and so has a bright future," Wentz said.

That message could carry significant weight for McCarthy. The former first-round pick has already experienced a whirlwind of expectations since arriving in Minnesota. From being viewed as the potential successor to the starting quarterback job to now navigating an uncertain role behind Murray, his path has changed considerably in a short amount of time.

But Wentz is reminding him that none of that needs to define what comes next. McCarthy's NFL career is still in its infancy. There will be plenty of opportunities ahead, and having a veteran like Wentz in the room could prove valuable as he learns how to handle the setbacks that inevitably come with playing quarterback at the highest level.

For now, Wentz's message is simple: don't let a difficult few weeks become the story of an entire career.

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