Carson Wentz entered Sunday’s opener as Minnesota’s insurance policy. He left U.S. Bank Stadium as the winning quarterback, the unlikely star of a division rivalry game and $100,000 richer.
The Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers 39-22 after falling behind 22-10. Kyler Murray, making his first start for Minnesota, lasted only a few series before a hit to the head put him in the concussion protocol. Wentz finished the rest of the afternoon.
He completed 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. It was not a pretty stat line by volume. It was enough.
The financial piece showed up after the game. Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti posted on X: “The Minnesota #Vikings victory over the Green Bay #Packers secures QB Carson Wentz a $100,000 bonus. Wentz is eligible for this bonus each time he plays at least 60% of the snaps in game that his team wins (max 6 wins). He can then earn another $150k for each of his next 6 wins.”
That clause sits on a one-year, $3 million contract Wentz signed in March. The deal includes a $1.1 million signing bonus and $2.645 million guaranteed, plus a $15,000 per-game active roster bonus. The win incentives are the part that can grow quickly if he keeps playing and Minnesota keeps winning.
Green Bay looked in control for a long stretch. Jordan Love threw for 387 yards and two first-half touchdowns to Christian Watson, including an 81-yard strike. The Packers led 9-0 early and still held a 22-10 edge after three quarters.
Minnesota scored 22 points in the fourth quarter and closed the game on a 29-0 run. Wentz found Justin Jefferson for two scores and T.J. Hockenson for another. Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason each added a rushing touchdown. Jefferson finished with eight catches for 92 yards and those two scores, matching his entire touchdown total from last season in one afternoon.
The defense finally got stops when it had to. The Vikings stuffed Green Bay on fourth down with 13:11 left in the fourth quarter after a penalty took a Packers field goal off the board. Love later lost a fumble on a sack and threw an interception deep in Packers territory.
Murray’s day started poorly even before the injury. His first pass as a Viking was intercepted. Later in the first quarter he scrambled, took a blow to the helmet and did not return. Packers cornerback Javon Bullard was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the hit.
Wentz, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 draft, has been with Minnesota before. He started five games last season, then had shoulder surgery. He returned this year as the veteran behind Murray and ahead of J.J. McCarthy on the Week 1 depth chart. That ranking mattered once Murray went down.
The performance set off the kind of reactions that follow Wentz wherever he goes. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo wrote, “The Carson Wentz career arc is like no other.”
Super Bowl champion Ryan Clark posted, “Just what we expected after all the talk of JJ [McCarthy] vs Kyler! The Vikings get the win with Carson Wentz.”
Former NFL running back Le’Veon Bell wrote, “carson wentz subbing in for an injured kyler murray is probably the best thing to ever happen for justin jefferson .. big year for jettas incoming.”
Media personality Skip Bayless gave Wentz credit with a caveat: “I don’t know how Carson Wentz did it, but he did it, with a lotta help from his defense and the refs.”
Minnesota is the only 1-0 team in the NFC North. Murray’s concussion status will determine whether Wentz starts again next week against the Chicago Bears. For one messy, loud Sunday, the backup did the job he was signed to do — and got paid extra for it.
