Who is Carson Wentz? 5 things to know about the Kansas City Chiefs’ backup quarterback
The Kansas City Chiefs are gearing up for the playoffs by resting quarterback Patrick Mahomes and other players for their final game of the regular season. A bunch of players who haven’t seen the field much this season will get their chance, including backup quarterback Carson Wentz.
Wentz will start in Sunday, Jan. 5’s road game against the Denver Broncos, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Wednesday, Jan. 1. Reid has said this season he’s impressed by Wentz, stating the QB deserves to be a starter somewhere in the league.
On a one-year contract with the Chiefs, Wentz has a chance to prove his worth against a Broncos team that needs a win to make the playoffs.
“Obviously we know the circumstances. We know where we’re at, and the reason I’m playing and not Pat and all the things,” Wentz said. “But I still go out there and expect to win.”
Who is Carson Wentz? Where did he go to school? What teams did he play with before signing with the Chiefs? Here are five facts to know about the backup quarterback.
He comes from an FCS school
Wentz played college football at North Dakota State in the NCAA Division 1 Football Championship Subdivision. It’s a level below the Football Bowl Subdivision, where schools like Kansas, Kansas State and Mizzou compete.
During his time at North Dakota State, he won two consecutive NCAA FCS national championships as the starting quarterback in 2014 and 2015. He also led the Bison to a 34-14 victory over the Big 12’s Iowa State Cyclones in 2014, overcoming an early 14-0 deficit.
He went 20-3 as a starter at North Dakota State and is third in school history for career passing attempts (612), completions (392), yards (5115), touchdowns (45) and completion percentage (.641)
He’s played with Jason Kelce
Wentz was taken second overall in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, making him the highest selected FCS player in NFL history. His time overlapped with Jason Kelce, the Eagles’ longtime center and brother of Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce.
While Jason and Travis don’t physically face each other since they’re both offensive players, Wentz was Philadelphia’s starting quarterback for the first professional Kelce Bowl on Sept. 17, 2017. Philadelphia came to Arrowhead Stadium, losing 27-20 to Kansas City.
Wentz played with Jason Kelce from 2016 to 2020 before he was benched in favor of Jalen Hurts at the end of the 2020 season.
He was traded to the Indianapolis Colts in 2021, traded to the Washington Commanders in 2022 and signed with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023 before signing with Kansas City in 2024.
He’s a Super Bowl champion
The Eagles won the Super Bowl during the 2017 season, and Wentz was the starting quarterback for most of their games. He went 11-2, throwing for 3,296 yards, 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The touchdowns are his career high for the most in a single season.
Unfortunately, his season was cut short when he tore his ACL against the Rams on Dec. 10, 2017. Backup quarterback Nick Foles stepped in and led to the team to its first Super Bowl, defeating Tom Brady and the New England Patriots 41-33 on Feb. 4, 2018.
He was named to the Associated Press’ All-Pro team for the 2017 season.
He scored a touchdown with a torn ACL
Wentz’s toughness was on full display against the Rams in the game he tore his ACL.
He injured his knee on a third-quarter scrambling dive into the end zone, a touchdown that was called back because of holding penalty on tackle Lane Johnson. He was hit by a pair of Rams defenders on the run.
Despite the hit, Wentz stayed in the game for four more plays to finish the drive, ending it with a touchdown pass to wide receiver Alshon Jeffery on fourth and goal. After the drive, he went into the locker room and didn’t return.
Then-Eagles coach Doug Pederson told reporters he believed the injury occurred right before the hit on Wentz.
“It appears watching the film again today it was actually before the contact so it could be a non-contact deal,” Pederson said. “But that’s just what it appears like on tape.”
It’s not the first time Wentz played through a major injury. He finished a game with North Dakota State with a broken wrist on his throwing arm in 2015, throwing for 195 yards and two touchdowns. He missed the next eight weeks after undergoing surgery.
He has a nonprofit organization
Wentz launched his nonprofit organization, the AO1 Foundation, in 2017, which has the mission of “uplifting individuals and communities around the world.” It works with Christian organizations that distribute free food, offer recreation to children with life-threatening illnesses, and have built a sports facility in Titanyen, Haiti.
If Wentz is able to upset the Broncos and ruin their playoff chances, he may find some charitable donations from Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals fans, who both need Denver to lose to have a shot at claiming the seventh and final playoff spot in the AFC.
“I’ve had a charity for about 10 years, so anybody can donate whenever they want to,” Wentz said Wednesday, Jan. 1. “We’ll see what happens.”
