EAGAN, Minn. — Carson Wentz never stopped believing he could help the Vikings move forward against the Chargers.
And communication Thursday night in Los Angeles flowed smoothly amongst Wentz, Head Coach Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings athletic training and medical staffs regarding the QB remaining in the game.
Wentz spoke with media members Wednesday afternoon, two days after the team moved him to Injured Reserve due to an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. He is delaying surgery until after the upcoming birth of his fourth daughter.
He reconfirmed the initial injury occurred in the Vikings Week 5 game against the Browns in London. He also noted trainers and outside doctors confirmed the injury wouldn't worsen by playing through it.
"After the Browns game, we knew surgery was in the future, which was obviously a bummer in and of itself. It's never fun. I've had more than I cared to have during my career," Wentz said. "But it was one of those things, 'Let's see how long we can ride with this thing. It was never anyone forcing me. It was never any of that.
"The whole time, I felt like I could help this team," Wentz continued. "At the end of the day, I knew what I was signing up for. It wasn't like anyone was forcing me to go. I mean, this is my 10th year in the league. There's a lot of bigger things in my life to worry about, so I wasn't gonna do anything that would be detrimental to my own health.
"So, I knew what I was getting into, and I knew there was a chance I'd be playing with some pain and discomfort the other night," he added. "At the end of the day, it's pain, and I felt like, 'OK, the hit happened,' and then I could go on and I could still help the team."
Wentz said he believes that criticism for O'Connell and the Vikings health and performance staff is misguided.
"The public backlash and different things that I'm being told are out there, I think is personally kind of crazy," Wentz said emphatically. "Nobody's in this building, nobody's in these conversations, nobody knows what's truly going on and transpiring behind these walls. And I can just honestly say, this place has been super supportive and super helpful this whole time, and I'm grateful for that."
O'Connell's weekly Wednesday media session followed Wentz's.
"[From conversations with] our medical team, between our training staff and doctors here locally, which I believe is the best in the National Football League, but then also consulting the top people in their fields, orthopedic surgeon wise, it was determined that if Carson wanted to give it a go, he could, and it would be more of a kind of a pain tolerance thing, but he was able to get his strength and feel like he was capable of going in and playing," O'Connell said. "He had some really good practices, and we felt encouraged by giving Carson the opportunity to kind of make the call and then commit to it, and he did that.
"And just the competitiveness and the ability to, what he showed his teammates, and a lot of things about loving football and competing and trying to leave it all out there for your team," O'Connell continued. "As a coach, you want to give players the opportunity to do that. But always after you consult with the medical staff, and that consultation has to start with the player and the medical staff. And as a coach, you have to allow that to happen before you're a part of the conversations at all.
"And then the conversations are purely in what's in the best interest of the player," O'Connell added. "And at that point, Carson thought what was in the best interest of him was getting to play football and quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings, and he felt equipped and capable to do that."
Wentz rehabbed during Minnesota's Week 6 bye and started against the Eagles, but the short week heading into Thursday Night Football made it much harder to prepare for Week 8.
He acknowledged clips shown on the broadcast that showed Wentz grimacing in pain and reiterated that coaches and trainers continued to check in with him.
"The whole time, the trainers, Coach, everyone was like, 'How are you doing?' And I'm like, 'I'm good,' " Wentz said. "It was painful, but I didn't want to remove myself from that. … As a backup for the last couple years, being back in the role of starting meaningful football games, it's fun. And when you lose it for a little bit, it's hard to want to give it up.
"I never once felt unsafe," he continued. "And I know TV copy can show stuff that people on the sidelines don't see. But I never once felt unsafe. I've said it a bunch — it's just pain, it's discomfort. I knew surgery was coming; I knew it needed to be fixed. … But I didn't want to come out of this game."
Wentz pointed inward to his competitive nature as playing a factor and reiterated his confidence in being able to continue performing.
"I never once was like, 'Yeah, I need to jump.' It's like, 'Yeah, that hurt.' But I'm optimistic," he said. "I'm [thinking], 'I'm gonna get up and not get hit the next play, and we're gonna go score,' and all those things. So [leaving the game] didn't really cross my mind."
Wentz expressed very real disappointment in his season coming to an end.
O'Connell began his press conference with comments crediting Wentz's contributions to the team and a young quarterbacks room with second-year pro J.J. McCarthy prepping for his third career start, rookie Max Brosmer and new practice squad addition John Wolford.
"He's been everything we had hoped and more when he arrived from a veteran experience, a guy that clearly loves football," O'Connell said. "It's been fun coaching Carson — can't say enough about his desire to compete and play and try to take advantage of the opportunity that he had to help us win. And he did that twice and played some really good football through it for us, throughout so many things happening to our team and being kind of a steady force during that time. Just want to commend him for that.
"He's going to get fixed up, also have his baby girl, and still be around our quarterbacks room and be around our young guys in that room as a as a real foundational piece in that room," O'Connell said.
But as he and his wife prepare to welcome a fourth baby girl any day ("or any minute") to the family, Wentz is taking things in-stride and remains thankful to be part of an organization so close to his heart.
"I don't know what's in store. I don't know what's in store tomorrow. My wife might call me any second and have this baby," he chuckled, glancing at his smart watch. "I believe [the surgery] is maybe a four-month, give or take, recovery — hoping we can be faster — but come OTAs, I'll be healthy, ready to roll.
"Again, it's my non-throwing shoulder," Wentz added. "Long-term, it's not that concerning, but a bummer right now."
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