The Minnesota Vikings signed veteran Carson Wentz on Sunday morning and traded fellow quarterback Sam Howell to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Wentz, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, spent last season as Patrick Mahomes’ backup with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Vikings will be the 32-year-old Wentz’s sixth team in as many years.
To acquire Howell, the Eagles sent a 2026 fifth-round draft pick and a 2027 seventh-round selection to Minnesota. The Vikings are adding a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Eagles’ side of the ledger.
The Eagles released former first-round safety Lewis Cine to make room for Howell on the roster. Cine, 25, has battled injuries since being selected No. 32 overall by the Vikings in 2022, and he was seen on crutches Friday following the Eagles’ final preseason game against the Jets. The Eagles placed an injury designation on the waiver, meaning he could join the Eagles’ injured reserve list should he clear waivers.
Howell, 24, is expected to serve as Jalen Hurts’ backup while planned No. 2 Tanner McKee deals with the finger he injured during Friday’s exhibition finale against the New York Jets.
Howell made 20 appearances, including 18 starts, during his first three years in the NFL. He has completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 4,139 yards, 22 touchdowns and 23 interceptions, which leads to a 77.5 passer efficiency rating.
The Vikings acquired Howell during the 2025 NFL Draft in anticipation of him serving as rookie J.J. McCarthy’s backup, but head coach Kevin O’Connell chose to split the team’s Week 3 exhibition snaps between undrafted rookie Max Brosmer and sixth-year pro Brett Rypien.
Brosmer, 24, played at FCS New Hampshire before spending his final year with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He completed 35 of 58 passes for 364 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while playing in all three of the Vikings’ exhibitions.
Rypien hit 15 of 30 passes for 151 yards and one interception during exhibition play. The nephew of Super Bowl champion Mark Rypien has made four NFL starts since breaking into the league with the Denver Broncos in 2020.
Wentz seized the Eagles’ starting job straight out of North Dakota State. He spent five seasons as the Eagles’ starter before moving on to Indianapolis (2021), Washington (2022), the Los Angeles Rams (2023) and the Chiefs (2024).
He owns a 47-46-1 record in his 94 career starts with a 62.7 percent completion rate, 22,410 yards, 153 touchdowns, 67 interceptions and an 89.3 passer efficiency rating.
–Field Level Media
