Listen closely, and you’ll notice that Carson Wentz and Adam Thielen said something similar about playing for the Minnesota Vikings this year.

“It’s a very human kind of thing to dwell on,” Wentz admitted when a reporter asked him if he thought he’d ever get another opportunity to start in the NFL, let alone for his favorite team growing up. “But that’s where my faith comes in. I just trust God’s got a plan. He’s writing the story, and I’m just trying to live it out as obediently as I can.”

Here’s Thielen after the Vikings traded for him in late August:

“There’s a lot of things that I can control, and there’s a lot of things that I can’t control,” he said. “I just trust that God’s got my back and has been in control. He’s writing his story that he’s already written, and I’m just following his guidance.”

Regardless of whether you’re religious, we know that Wentz and Thielen are in Minnesota, playing for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. In August, Wentz was working out, waiting for someone to offer him an NFL opportunity.

“You never know when your next chance is going to be in this league,” said Wentz. “Two years ago, I was home until mid-November. It’s not something I want to take lightly or for granted.”

Meanwhile, Thielen was in Charlotte preparing to play for the Carolina Panthers when he and his daughter Cora learned the Vikings had traded for him.

“That was pretty raw emotion right there because I had just found out,” said Thielen. “Minutes before that, I was a Carolina Panther getting ready for practice.”

Odds are slim that Wentz and Thielen would join C.J. Ham as childhood Vikings fans playing for their hometown team. Minnesota initially traded for Sam Howell to back up McCarthy, but moved on after the preseason and signed Wentz. And although the Vikings expressed interest in Thielen late in the offseason, there’s no guarantee that Carolina would trade him.

Wentz and Thielen took opposite paths to Minnesota. Thielen joined as an undrafted free agent and worked his way from a practice squad player and special teamer to become an All-Pro receiver.

The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Wentz second-overall to be their franchise quarterback in 2016. He became an All-Star a year later, but injured his ACL and watched Nick Foles lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl win. In 2021, they traded Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts, and he’s started for six different teams in the six years since.

“It’s definitely given me a different perspective,” said Wentz, “going from being a starter to [being] traded, cut, all the different things, then being a backup the last two years behind some future Hall of Fame quarterbacks.”

Wentz would likely be grateful for any starting opportunity. Still, it’s different suiting up in purple, especially for a team with championship aspirations. Eight years after Foles took over for Wentz and won the Super Bowl at U.S. Bank Stadium, things may come full circle for Wentz.

“I used to cheer for the guys that I’m seeing walking down the hallway,” said Wentz. “I used to go to the Metrodome, and I was waving the towel. I was part of the Skol chants, all the things. So running out of that tunnel this week will probably hit me a little bit different, in a really cool, surreal way.”

Wentz and Thielen know what’s at stake. Wentz will make his first start for the Vikings on Sunday, and we’ll learn if he’s still capable of being a starting quarterback in the NFL. Thielen has emphasized that a 1-1 start won’t doom the team. He was on the 2016 team that started 5-0 and missed the playoffs. A year later, they started 2-2, won 13 games, and reached the NFC Championship.

“A Week 2 loss doesn’t derail who you are as a football team,” he said. “[It’s] a great opportunity to see what this team is really made of.”

Thielen and Wentz also have to know that the Vikings must have a sense of urgency. Someone may hire Brian Flores as their head coach in the offseason. Harrison Smith could retire, and the team is benefiting from having McCarthy on a rookie deal and Wentz on a $1.4 million contract.

We don’t know how this will play out, but it’s shaping up to be one of the most unique stories in the NFL.