NFL Media’s Ben McWilliams boldly predicted Kyler Murray would guide the Minnesota Vikings to the playoffs. Instead, after just 11 snaps into Week 1, that optimism shattered. Scrambling late in the first quarter against Green Bay, Murray went down, only for Packers safety Javon Bullard to deliver a brutal hit while Lukas Van Ness clipped his helmet. Murray lay motionless before eventually walking off under his own power, raising hopes for a Week 2 return against Chicago. But head coach Kevin O’Connell just delivered the devastating reality check nobody wanted to hear.

The Vikings will wait at least another week for Murray, who has been ruled out against the Bears while still in concussion protocol. “Kyler showed a lot of progress,” head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters on Friday. “He’s doing well, felt good this week working through it, but he will be out Sunday. Fully anticipate him clearing the protocol early next week with the progress that he’s made.”

Well, talking about the concussion protocol, Murray cannot simply say he feels fine and suit up. He has to clear all five stages, and even then, an independent neurological consultant has the final say on whether he can return.

• Phase 1: Symptom-Limited Activity
• Phase 2: Aerobic Exercise
• Phase 3: Football-Specific Exercise
• Phase 4: Non-Contact Practice
• Phase 5: Full Football Activity and Clearance

While Minnesota hasn’t officially confirmed his exact status, Murray appears to be nearing Phase 4 of the concussion protocol. He’s already making tangible strides, turning in back-to-back limited practice sessions on Wednesday and Thursday. Head coach Kevin O’Connell noted earlier in the week that Murray was cleared to join team meetings, emphasizing that they are remaining patient and “taking it a day at a time.” Given the nature of the hit, the Vikings have every reason to be cautious.

The impact knocked Murray’s helmet off and left him on the turf as teammates immediately signaled for medical help. Bullard was flagged 15 yards for unnecessary roughness, giving Minnesota a first down. Murray eventually walked to the locker room with trainers and was later ruled out with a concussion. The aftermath made the hit look even uglier. Teammates said Murray briefly went into a fencing posture on the turf, a neurological response that can follow significant head trauma.

“It almost puts me in a bad headspace in a way because you never want to see anybody get hit like that,” running back Aaron Jones Sr. said. “And then, especially to me, when somebody’s posturing on the field, that’s when it’s scary.”

It’s needless to say that Murray’s love-hate relationship with injuries isn’t new. Since 2021, injuries have repeatedly interrupted his seasons, with 2024 standing out as the rare recent year when he made it through all 17 games. Right now, the expectation is that Murray could return in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, assuming he completes the remaining steps of the league’s concussion process. For the time being, Carson Wentz will take over under center, with McCarthy serving as his backup.

Yet, there is genuine reason for calm in Minnesota. When pushed into duty on a moment’s notice, Carson Wentz proved he could handle the heat. Despite taking almost no first-team reps throughout training camp and the preseason, the veteran stepped in for Murray against Green Bay and went 12-of-19 for 133 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, posting a 123.5 passer rating while helping Minnesota rally from a 22-10 deficit to win 39-22.

“That’s why he’s here,” O’Connell said during his postgame press conference after Minnesota’s win over Green Bay on September 13. “For him to come in and do what he did and just be part of that calming presence that allowed our team to continue playing, I can’t say enough about him.”

But Wentz taking over is only half the quarterback story in Minnesota. The bigger wrinkle is what his rise has meant for J.J. McCarthy.

He and Murray spent the first 10 practice days competing for QB1 and rotating between the first and second-team offenses before Kevin O’Connell officially named Murray the starter on August 11. McCarthy was still listed ahead of Wentz on Minnesota’s first preseason depth chart, but by the Week 1 depth chart, Wentz had jumped him for the No. 2 job. Minnesota’s current unofficial depth chart still lists Murray first, Wentz second, and McCarthy third.

For the former No. 10 overall pick who entered camp fighting for the starting job, falling all the way to QB3 is a brutal turn. And Fans are already wondering whether Minnesota has completely lost faith in McCarthy.

After Wentz jumped him for QB2, one fan brutally summed it up by saying McCarthy “came in third in a two-horse race,” while another said it was “hard to imagine losing out to Wentz at this point in his career.” For a former top-10 pick, those reactions show just how quickly McCarthy’s standing has collapsed.

And Wentz could make the situation even uglier. After his three-touchdown performance against Green Bay, one Vikings fan wrote, “Cmon Carson. Play so well you create a week three QB controversy.” Murray is supposed to be QB1, Wentz is suddenly getting momentum, and McCarthy is becoming the forgotten man in a quarterback room he entered camp trying to win.

Moreover, Minnesota’s quarterback chaos is not just bothering the fans. NFL analysts are skeptical too, with the entire NFL.com Week 2 panel siding with Chicago.

NFL Analysts Doubt Carson Wentz Can Survive Chicago’s Week 2 Pressure

All five NFL.com experts picked Chicago to win, with projected scores ranging from 24-18 to 31-21, while the Bears entered as 4.5-point favorites. But the consensus is not simply a reaction to Murray being unavailable. It is a bet that Chicago can dictate the type of game Minnesota would rather avoid with Wentz starting.

The biggest problem is the matchup on the other side of the ball.

Chicago exploded for 59 points and 291 rushing yards in Week 1, while Caleb Williams has already shown he can punish pressure. Minnesota blitzed Green Bay on 78.3% of its dropbacks, yet Williams completed 9 of 14 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns against the blitz in his opener. That makes Brian Flores’ aggression a potential strength and liability at the same time. If Chicago consistently gets past the first wave, Minnesota could be forced into a shootout before Wentz ever gets the chance to settle in.

That does not make Minnesota helpless.

Wentz threw three touchdowns off the bench against Green Bay and is 4-0 in his career against Chicago, so the Bears are not exactly getting a quarterback with no history of handling this matchup. But relief duty is different from starting a full game with an opponent preparing specifically for you. Add Chicago’s league-leading 33 takeaways from 2025 and three more in Week 1, and the real pressure on Wentz is obvious: Minnesota cannot afford for its backup quarterback to turn an aggressive road game into a turnover contest.