Carson Wentz Bio
Carson James Wentz (born December 30, 1992) is an American professional football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He is widely recognized as one of the most successful players to come from the NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision, having led the North Dakota State Bison to two consecutive FCS national titles as the starting quarterback before becoming a top NFL draft pick. Over the course of his professional career, Wentz has earned Pro Bowl and Second-Team All-Pro honors, won a Super Bowl championship, and started for multiple NFL franchises.
Early Life and Background
Carson James Wentz was born on December 30, 1992, in Raleigh, North Carolina. When he was three years old, his family moved to North Dakota, where he spent the rest of his childhood. He grew up in Bismarck and attended Century High School, where he played quarterback and defensive back for the football team. He also played basketball and baseball in high school, and as a young athlete he tried ice hockey, an interest inspired by his older brother, before eventually focusing on football and basketball.
Wentz’s physical growth during his teenage years was dramatic. As a high school freshman, he stood 5 feet 8 inches tall, and by the time he graduated in 2011 he had grown to 6 feet 5 inches. That same year, he finished as the valedictorian of his graduating class, signaling the same work ethic and discipline that would later define his football career.
Path to Professional Football
Wentz committed to North Dakota State, joining a Bison program that had recently won its first NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) title. He redshirted his first season, then spent two years as a backup quarterback before taking over as the full-time starter in his junior year. In 2014, Wentz led North Dakota State to a 15–1 record and an FCS national championship, earning the Championship Game Most Outstanding Player award after a dramatic late touchdown run.
As a fifth-year senior in 2015, Wentz was in the running for another title when he suffered a broken throwing wrist. He missed the middle of the season but returned in time for the FCS Championship Game, leading the Bison to their fifth straight national title and earning Most Outstanding Player honors for the second consecutive year. Wentz graduated with a degree in health and physical education, finishing with a 4.0 grade point average and earning Academic All-American recognition for both Division I football and all Division I sports.
Carson Wentz Career
Early Career (2016)
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Wentz with the second overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, making him the highest-drafted FCS quarterback in league history. Originally expected to sit and learn behind veteran Sam Bradford, Wentz was quickly thrust into the starting role when Bradford was traded to the Minnesota Vikings shortly before the regular season began. He responded by becoming the first rookie quarterback since 1970 to win his first two games without throwing an interception, including a 34–3 road victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers that earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Wentz went on to start all 16 games of his rookie season, finishing with 379 completions, a new league record for completions by a rookie. He also set Philadelphia single-season franchise records for completions and pass attempts, giving Eagles fans their first glimpse of a long-term answer at quarterback.
Philadelphia Eagles Breakthrough (2017–2019)
In 2017, Wentz elevated his game to elite status. Through the first 13 starts of the season, he threw for 3,296 yards, 33 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions, earning a 101.9 passer rating and ranking among the leading NFL Most Valuable Player candidates. His standout efforts included a 51–23 rout of the Denver Broncos with four passing touchdowns, and a Week 14 comeback win over the Los Angeles Rams that clinched the NFC East title. The victory came at a heavy cost, however, as Wentz tore his ACL during the game and missed the rest of the regular season and postseason.
Behind backup quarterback Nick Foles, Philadelphia went on to win Super Bowl LII, defeating the New England Patriots 41–33 for the first Super Bowl title in franchise history. Although Wentz was unable to play in that game, he was named to the Pro Bowl and earned Second-Team All-Pro honors for the 2017 season, cementing his reputation as one of the league’s brightest young quarterbacks.
Wentz returned from his knee injury in time for the 2018 season, and in 2019 he was rewarded with a four-year, $128 million contract extension that included $107 million in guaranteed money. He responded with his strongest statistical season to that point, throwing for 4,039 yards and 27 touchdowns, becoming the first quarterback in Eagles history to pass for at least 4,000 yards in a single season. He led Philadelphia to a second NFC East title, though a head injury cut short his playoff debut against the Seattle Seahawks.
Indianapolis Colts Era (2021)
On March 17, 2021, the Eagles traded Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for two draft picks, reuniting him with former Philadelphia offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who had become the Colts’ head coach. A foot injury during training camp delayed the start of his Indianapolis tenure, but Wentz returned in time for the regular-season opener. He finished the 2021 season with 3,563 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, leading Indianapolis to a 9–8 record that fell just short of a playoff berth after a Week 18 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Washington Commanders Era (2022)
Wentz was traded to the Washington Commanders in March 2022 and opened his tenure with a 28–22 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, throwing four touchdowns in his Washington debut. His season, however, was derailed by a fractured ring finger on his throwing hand that sent him to injured reserve in late October. Although he returned to action in December, he could not dislodge Taylor Heinicke as Washington’s starter, and the Commanders released Wentz on February 27, 2023.
Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs (2023–2024)
Wentz signed with the Los Angeles Rams on November 8, 2023, to serve as the backup to Matthew Stafford. He made one notable start in the regular-season finale, throwing two touchdowns and rushing for another in a 21–20 road victory over the eventual NFC champion San Francisco 49ers. In April 2024, he joined the Kansas City Chiefs as Patrick Mahomes’s backup and made a brief relief appearance against the Cleveland Browns in Week 15. He started the regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos before watching the Chiefs reach Super Bowl LIX, where they lost 40–22 to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Minnesota Vikings Era (2025–Present)
On August 24, 2025, Wentz signed with the Minnesota Vikings as the backup to J. J. McCarthy. Less than a month later, he was named the starter for a Week 3 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals, becoming the first quarterback in league history to start for six different teams in six consecutive seasons. Wentz started several games in 2025 before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury during a Thursday Night Football matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers, finishing the year with six touchdowns, five interceptions, and 1,217 passing yards. On March 19, 2026, he re-signed with the Vikings on a one-year, $3 million contract.
Driving Style and Strengths
Wentz has long been praised for his combination of size, arm strength, and mobility. Standing 6 feet 5 inches tall, he has the frame to see over offensive lines and the athleticism to extend plays with his legs, a trait that proved especially valuable during his early years in Philadelphia. Coaches and analysts have credited him with strong pre-snap recognition, the willingness to attack downfield shots, and the toughness to play through injuries, all of which made him a natural fit for offensive systems that emphasize vertical passing and play-action concepts.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Wentz’s career-defining moments was his 2017 MVP-caliber campaign, which ended with a torn ACL just as the Eagles captured the NFC’s top seed. He later became the first quarterback in Eagles history to throw for 4,000 yards in a single season, and he has now started games for the Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Washington Commanders, Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs, and Minnesota Vikings, an extraordinary run of franchise stops across consecutive seasons.
Carson Wentz Career Wins
Carson Wentz has collected important team and personal victories across both the college and professional ranks. With North Dakota State, he was a five-time FCS national champion during his collegiate years and was twice named the FCS Championship Game Most Outstanding Player. In the NFL, he helped the Philadelphia Eagles win Super Bowl LII as a member of the roster, and he has led multiple franchises to regular-season victories and division titles.
NFL Highlights
Wentz’s 2017 season stands as the statistical peak of his career, with 33 passing touchdowns and 3,296 yards in just 13 starts. He also led Philadelphia to an NFC East title that year and contributed to the team’s Super Bowl LII championship. In 2019, he guided the Eagles to a second NFC East crown while setting a franchise record with 4,039 passing yards. With the Washington Commanders in 2022, he opened the season with a four-touchdown performance against the Jaguars, and with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023, he engineered a dramatic 21–20 comeback win over the San Francisco 49ers in the regular-season finale.
Carson Wentz Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Carson Wentz’s athletic interests were shaped in part by his older brother, Zach, who played college baseball for the North Dakota State Bison from 2009 to 2012. Zach later pitched briefly for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks before moving into teaching and helping lead the AO1 Foundation that Carson established. Carson’s younger half-brother, Luke Domres, played baseball and football in high school and graduated magna cum laude from Arizona State University.
Personal Life
Carson Wentz has been married since 2018 and has three daughters. He is a practicing Christian and founded the AO1 Foundation in 2017, a charitable effort that, among other initiatives, helped build a sports complex in Haiti in 2018. Outside of football, Wentz is an avid hunter and frequently returns to North Dakota during the offseason to pursue the hobby.
2025 Season Performance
Carson Wentz’s 2025 campaign with the Minnesota Vikings began in dramatic fashion, as he was elevated from backup to starter within weeks of signing with the team. His first start against the Cincinnati Bengals made league history, as he became the first quarterback to start for six different NFL teams in six consecutive seasons. Wentz remained the Vikings’ starter for several weeks, including a victory over the Cleveland Browns in which he battled through a shoulder issue that forced him to wear a protective sleeve.
His Vikings tenure was cut short during a Thursday Night Football matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers, when Wentz suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. At the time of the injury, he had completed 15 of 27 passes for one touchdown and one interception in that game, finishing his 2025 regular season with 1,217 passing yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions overall. Despite the abbreviated campaign, his production helped stabilize the Vikings’ offense during McCarthy’s absence and gave the team a veteran bridge at the quarterback position.
Looking ahead, the Vikings re-signed Wentz to a one-year, $3 million contract in March 2026, signaling continued confidence in his ability to contribute as a backup and spot starter. With the team’s young core continuing to develop, Wentz is expected to serve in a mentorship role while remaining ready to step in when called upon.
