Carson Wentz is making his return to the NFL, while Sam Howell is once again on the move. The Minnesota Vikings have signed Wentz to serve as the backup quarterback to J.J. McCarthy and decided to trade Howell to the Philadelphia Eagles.
In this deal, the Eagles, the reigning Super Bowl champions, will send a fifth-round pick in 2026 and a seventh-round pick in 2027 to Minnesota in exchange for Howell and a sixth-round pick in 2027.
Wentz, who previously spent last season as a backup to Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, was drafted second overall by the Eagles in 2016. He had a standout year, finishing third in NFL MVP voting in 2017, but later faced setbacks, including a torn ACL that sidelined him during the Eagles’ Super Bowl run, led by Nick Foles.
Throughout his career, Wentz has played for the Indianapolis Colts in 2021, the Washington Commanders in 2022, and had a brief stint as a backup with the Los Angeles Rams this past season. Currently, he holds a record of 47 wins and 46 losses as a starter, completing 62.7% of his passes for 22,410 yards, 153 touchdowns, and 67 interceptions, giving him an 89.3 passer rating.
Notably, Wentz stands out as the only quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 4,000 yards in a season without a single receiver exceeding 500 yards—a remarkable feat he achieved in 2019 while leading the Eagles to an NFC East title.
On the other hand, Howell replaced Wentz as the starting QB for the Commanders in 2023. He had a stint behind Geno Smith in Seattle before joining the Vikings. Now, Howell heads to Philadelphia, where he’ll work under Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, joining a quarterback room that also includes Tanner McKee, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and rookie Kyle McCord. Howell was a fifth-round pick in 2022, and with a 5-13 record as a starter, he has completed 62.6% of his passes for 4,139 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 23 interceptions, giving him a 77.5 passer rating.
