Carson Wentz on Goals for Sunday Start vs. Broncos, Potential Impact on QB's Future

Carson Wentz is officially set to get his first start in nearly a calendar year, and he's excited for what lies ahead regardless of what that is.

Sep 22, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Carson Wentz (11) prepares for a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

As the Kansas City Chiefs get back out on the practice field this week, they'll be doing so with a new starter for their regular-season finale. Head coach Andy Reid revealed on Wednesday that Carson Wentz will replace Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, which is no surprise as the reigning Super Bowl champions have the AFC's No. 1 playoff seed secured.

Shortly after Reid broke the news, Wentz outlined his goals for Week 18's contest against the Denver Broncos.

"Have fun," Wentz said. "Have fun. Obviously, I want to play well and have success out there and ultimately, more than anything, get a win. That's the goal. Obviously, we know the circumstances. We know kind of where we're at, the reason I'm playing and not Pat and all the things, but I still go out there and expect to win. I'm going to prepare to go out there and win and then have a good performance with this offense. We're preparing for that."

Sunday will mark Wentz's first start in nearly a full year. The last time he got premier reps was January 7, 2024 as a member of the Los Angeles Rams. Completing 17 of 24 passes and carrying the ball a career-high 17 times on the ground, Wentz played an important role in Week 18's win over the San Francisco 49ers. While it wasn't a game that led to a starter-level signing in the spring, it certainly helped him get tuned up for the team's (brief) playoff run just in case.

Wentz believes that any experience he gains in Denver will have a similar effect once the Chiefs get back from their first-round postseason bye.

"Yeah, I think it would be tremendous just getting reps," Wentz said. "Preseason is helpful, but that was even limited and seems like another lifetime ago already. That's just kind of the way it goes. This will definitely be helpful if needed in whatever capacity down the stretch there in the playoffs. Quite frankly, I'm just excited to get out there and play ball."

Simply put, there isn't a ton riding on Sunday's game for Kansas City. With the one-seed locked up, they can rest key starters like Mahomes in Week 18 and then enjoy a stress-free Wild Card weekend thereafter. With that said, Wentz himself may have as much on the line as anyone. His career has taken just about every turn, seeing him go from an MVP candidate in 2017 to a middling starter and now a journeyman backup. At 32 years old and with as much raw talent as he still possesses, though, his story is far from finished.

Earlier this week, Reid was strong in his assertion that Wentz should be a starter somewhere in 2025. Although it's unclear how the league feels about that, a meaningless Week 18 game from a team standpoint is the exact opposite for one of its leading veterans. It's anyone's guess what a productive showing versus the Broncos can do, and it only takes one impressed front office or coaching staff to give Wentz the chance he's been looking for.

Regardless of what Sunday or the offseason has in store, Wentz is glad to just be back on the field.

"Yeah, I mean, I take it day by day," Wentz said. "I'm confident in myself, I'm confident in my abilities. What I've done in the past is in the past. Good, bad, indifferent, I'm still confident I can play, and play at a high level. Looking forward to hopefully doing that this weekend and having fun while I'm at it."

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