The Vikings are trading quarterback Sam Howell and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Eagles, per Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. In exchange, Minnesota will receive a fifth- and seventh-round choice in 2026, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter was the first to report that the team is also signing veteran passer Carson Wentz to replace Howell and to serve as the backup for J.J. McCarthy.
Wentz, 32, visited the Vikings yesterday, and the summit clearly went well. McCarthy, of course, missed his entire rookie season in 2024 due to injury, though the club’s faith in his ability to operate as the starting QB in 2025 never wavered. Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones were therefore allowed to leave in free agency, and Minnesota acquired Howell during April’s draft with the expectation that he would slot in behind McCarthy on the depth chart.
Howell played well in the club’s first preseason contest this summer, but he struggled in his second outing, completing one of five passes for 13 yards and an interception. He sat out the preseason finale on Friday as Brett Rypien and 2025 UDFA Max Brosmer shared the snaps under center.
In addition to adding a more experienced and accomplished voice in Wentz — who is familiar with HC Kevin O’Connell‘s offensive system — today’s transaction adds a bit more draft capital to the Vikings’ stockpile (just as the recent Harrison Phillips swap did). As multiple pundits, including ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, were quick to point out in the immediate aftermath of the Howell report, Minnesota is in the market for a wide receiver, and the Phillips and Howell trades could help facilitate a WR addition. Longtime Viking and current Panther Adam Thielen remains a target, but Fowler notes the club has multiple lines of inquiry open. Plus, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, Minnesota has been pleased with Brosmer and appears perfectly content to have him as the No. 3 QB.
Howell, meanwhile, continues a nomadic journey that is uncommon for such a young player. The Commanders’ 2022 draftee, who will turn 25 next month, started all 17 games for Washington in 2023, and he finished with a 4-13 record. The club was unafraid to let him air it out, as he led the NFL with 612 pass attempts, which led to a league-worst 21 interceptions. He was traded to Seattle in April 2024, but he saw limited action as the backup to Geno Smith. Including today’s deal, the UNC product has been traded three times in the span of 18 months.
Still, the Eagles needed some cover for their own QB room, as Jalen Hurts‘ presumptive backup, Tanner McKee, is dealing with a finger injury that has jeopardized his Week 1 availability. Albert Breer of SI.com notes Philadelphia remains high on McKee, and it does not sound as if his ailment is a long-term one. Nonetheless, Howell will offer an upgrade over sixth-round rookie Kyle McCord, both as the QB2 in the event McKee is not ready to go at the start of the season and as the QB3 over the course of the campaign (or, the Eagles could theoretically try to trade McKee; per Breer, there has been outside interest in the 25-year-old signal-caller, which echoes his recent report on the matter).
Assuming a McKee trade does not come to fruition, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes McCord will be waived, though the Eagles could try to stash him on the practice squad if he clears waivers. Offseason trade acquisition Dorian Thompson-Robinson is also on the Eagles’ roster for the time being, but today’s news obviously does not bode well for his future in Philly.
McLane adds that the team has waived/injured DB Lewis Cine, who, according Zach Berman of The Athletic, was on crutches following Friday’s preseason game, when he recorded a diving interception.
Very random
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Bye, bye to one of DTR or McCord
If McKee’s injury is fairly serious this was needed as DTR is not good and McCord is definitely not ready in case Hurts gets injured.
Considering they traded for Thompson-Robinson and we know he’s terrible, it’s probably him. Doesn’t sound very confident that you’d trade for another guy right before the season if you were happy with that acquisition.
They traded Pickett more for the draft capital than for DTR. They thought it was worth giving him a look over the off-season.
I’ll take it.
Damn right you will
Wentz waiting game went well I knew he wasn’t done playing. Worked out it seems like
Now go get Theilen back home for a 7th round pick!
I hate to say it, but I think if Carolina was willing to take a 7th for him, that deal would be done already.
Rumors are the Panthers wanted a 3rd, while the Vikes were only willing to give up a 4th.
I doubt they seriously thought they could get a 3rd. They are tripping. The most the Vikings will give up is a 6th. The Panthers need better players so they could swap a player and 7th for AT.
This is bye to DTR and I’d assume practice squad for McCord.
Still pulling for Howell though. He showed moxie during that disastrous season for Washington but their defense was terrible down the stretch. Surprised Wentz got signed so quickly but maybe the Vikings had kept in contact for awhile.
He was seeing ghosts by the end of that season. If he were allowed to stay in a system with a sound OL and some coaching stability, he could be a late bloomer.
Ah Shucks! This trade really hurts Sam Howell’s fantasy league value 🙂
Not sure what the Eagles are thinking here – as Howell is in year four of his NFL career yet still plays like a raw rookie.
Consider the alternatives. He did throw over 20 TD’s and almost 4000 yards the year he started with an absolutely horrible OL.
If they need Howell long term they are doomed anyway, but they needed somebody to hold it down until QB2 is healed.
What is it that teams see in Carson Wentz? Half a dozen teams have tried to rehabilitate him and none have been successful. Although, if there is anyone who could do it, it would be Kevin O’Connell. The ultimate test.
Wentz has been a serviceable NFL QB throughout his career. If you don’t think so, show me a stat that says he isn’t. Not sure I’d use the words rehabitate.
Serviceable? He played at MVP level until injuries derailed those seasons.
With this signing by the Vikings, Wentz will have played for 6 different teams in the last 6 seasons. No one wants the guy back for second year. His stats might not be terrible but there’s a reason no team wants the guy to stick around.
Yeah okay guy.
The delusional Wentz hate has always been hilarious.
so Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Washington, Los Angeles, and Kansas City all sent this guy packing 5 times in 5 seasons because of…. delusion. ok.
Like I said, the delusional Wentz hate is always hilarious.
Almost as hilarious as the grasping at straws to justify it.
You. You are delusional. Not teams.
don’t toss your grasped straws at me, friend. Toss them at the 5 organizations I listed to you. If you want your narrative to be true, you’ll have to take your complaint up with reality, not with I. I am just the observer.
Best,
Wentz had a good run in PHI. With the Redskins the OL was terrible. With INDY he must have pissed off Irsay. LA and KC he was never going to start. Show me some bad Wentz stats if you think he’s that bad.
If he was as good as you think he is, he wouldn’t have been a free agent until the end of august, he wouldn’t be a backup QB for 3 consecutive seasons now, he wouldn’t get jettisoned from his team every year, and he wouldn’t need 4 excuses you just listed,
I thought Howell might get cut. To get a 5th….Kweisi strikes again!
I think he’s underrated as a GM. He can be pretty entertaining when trying to explain his approach too.
Kwesi traded a pick swap equivalent to a 5th to get him in the first place lol
LOL, he did a 5th round pick swap with the Seahawks to acquire howell. It was the equivalent value of a mid 7th. You left out the part of also receiving Back a late 5th in addition to Howell. He stunk in camp and it was a sunk cost but Kwesie turned it into another 5th for next year along with a 6/7 swap.
Why didn’t the Eagles try to get Wentz back as there #3 QB? Would have preferred him over Howell. Howell is garbage.
He has too much pride to ever sign here as a backup. No damn way we would have accepted him again either after he chickened out on shaking Hurts hand following the beat down in the Superdome. I don’t love the Howell move either & hope McKee heals fast.
They literally drafted Hurts to be his replacement while lying about it and claiming he was another weapon for Wentz then screwed him over yet again while giving Hurts everything he never had.
FOH.
I see the Wentz truthers are still out here. Get over it… Your “Great Hope” isn’t as good as Hurts… And now that he got his ring, to debate is over.
Calling people Wentz truthers because they don’t share in delusional hating on him just to fanboy Hurts is hilarious.
You literally can’t just admit that Wentz was put into a terrible situation and played well because his numbers make Hurts’ rightly look pedestrian, and that is pathetic on your part. Two things can be true at once. If you think they can’t, then you have no business talking sports.
You’re the one who needs to get over it, guy. Your takes are delusional and based on being a hater. Wentz has always been a better passer than Hurts but you have to ish on him every chance you get because you’re a Hurts fanboy.
There is no debate. Wentz was always better. He had a worse team and did more with it than Hurts has with a superteam. You just can’t put anything into context because YOU’RE A FANBOY RATHER THAN AN EAGLES FAN.
In short, grow up or stop talking sports. Your mean girl ish like this is some boy band type stuff is toxic and insufferable.
It’s 2025 and still a Carsen Wentz fanboy. Pathetic.
I’d argue AJ Brown made Hurts a good QB. But Mickey Mouse could’ve QBed PHI last SB and they still blow out KC. How Hurts was MVP is a mystery.
Reading through these comments I’m pretty sure @notimportant is Carson Wentz’s wife. That’s the only thing that would explain this person’s irrational defense of Wentz.
Too much bad history…he’s no Nick Foles and wouldn’t come back.
I presume he means serviceable post back injury that derailed his MVP run. But looking at his numbers over the last few years he has played well enough to deserve a roster spot somewhere in the league. There are tons or really bad abs rostered out there.
Has he gone to a team that didn’t grossly misuse him and gotten a legit OL and legit WRs for more than one year, he’s probably a top ten QB for the past decade.
There’s gotta be something we’re not hearing if no one keeps him for more than one year since he’s left Philadelphia. Add in the fact that guys like Tim Boyle & Trevor Siemian find jobs before him, I wouldn’t put much faith in him.