Kyler Murray’s hamstring injury is serious enough to keep him sidelined for at least a week.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters during his Thursday news conference that Murray was out for Monday night’s game against the Bills with a hamstring strain and was considered week to day.
Carson Wentz will start in Week 9, which will be his second start of the season.
“For (Murray), his movement skills and the way he plays the game, we think we would put him in danger of turning this into a bigger injury than it is by trying to work him out here early on,” O’Connell said. “SO, Carson will start the football game and Max (Brosmer) will support him.
While it didn’t seem like O’Connell was too concerned about Murray’s availability earlier in the week, further testing revealed the extent of the problem.
“I think hamstrings are always unique,” O’Connell said. “(You) always have to understand that whatever that picture or that imagery says, sometimes it’s an injury that you can really focus on. That’s why I wanted to be sure before I speculated on Monday, just because I wanted to be sure that it wasn’t something that would prohibit him from playing – until it was.
“I’m not going to get into the specifics of the grade, the injury or the medical level, but just knowing that Kyler needs his mobility, that’s a big part of what makes him an effective player. If that puts him in danger of potentially aggravating the injury, we can’t do it. It’s a long season. We hope to get him back and move him forward.”
O’Connell noted that injured reserve is not a consideration for Murray with this injury.
Wentz stepped in and played after Murray suffered a concussion earlier this season. Wentz completed 23 of 39 passes against the Packers and Bears for 276 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
“Obviously, there’s a ton of confidence in Carson,” O’Connell said. “He played a major, very important role in two wins this year against two very good teams. He’s a consistent presence and a guy that we know is capable of playing good football, which is why we feel so happy to have him here.
“He’s going to get a lot of completions. He’s going to put the ball in play. He’s got a really great understanding of not only the offense but what he’s looking at on the other end. He’s got 100 games of experience. He’s the perfect guy in a moment where you can’t have Kyler out there at full strength to go. And we’re very confident that when Carson is here, we’re going to have a really effective quarterback game.”
Minnesota’s offense has struggled to generate yards and points this season, with the club ranking 27th in scoring and 29th in total yards. We’ll see if Wentz can provide a spark to change that Monday night.
Gn sports
