The Minnesota Vikings picked up a 39-22 victory over the Green Bay Packers in their season opener, but this wasn’t a straightforward win by any stretch of the imagination. After losing Kyler Murray early in the game to a concussion, backup quarterback Carson Wentz led the Vikings to an improbable fourth-quarter rally from seemingly out of nowhere.
Wentz’s strong play under center has put Minnesota in an odd spot at quarterback, as some folks are wondering if he could be named the starter over Murray for Week 2. Chances are, Murray’s injury status will play a big role in determining who lines up under center for the Vikings in their next game, and according to one insider, it sounds like the team already has a plan in place for the quarterback position.
Kyler Murray Set to Start for Vikings in Week 2 if He’s Healthy
Considering how little production the Vikings got from the quarterback position last season, there was a sense of excitement surrounding Murray’s debut for the team in Week 1. Instead, he got injured almost immediately, which forced Wentz, who was a bit of a forgotten man in Minnesota’s quarterback room, into action.
Wentz’s numbers don’t exactly jump off the page (12/19, 133 YDS, 3 TD), but he did what needed to be done in order to help the Vikings pick up a huge divisional win over the Packers. This isn’t necessarily the first time Wentz has looked solid during his time under center for Minnesota, which raised questions as to whether or not he could wind up being the starting quarterback moving forward.
Much of the conversation at quarterback this offseason revolved around Murray and J.J. McCarthy, but Wentz proved that he still has something to offer, too. However, if Murray ends up clearing the NFL’s concussion protocol, it sounds like Wentz will be headed back to the bench in Week 2.
Based on what I’ve been able to gather, my sense is that Kyler Murray will start if he clears concussion protocol in time, and Carson Wentz is likely to start if Murray isn’t clear in time,” Graziano reported.
Should the Vikings Start Carson Wentz Over Kyler Murray?
All of this goes without saying that the Vikings may have no choice but to turn to Wentz in Week 2. Of course, McCarthy looms as another option, but Kevin O’Connell and the coaching staff seem to believe that Wentz gives this team a better shot at winning right now (which is probably accurate).
Even if Murray is healthy, though, there is an argument that can be made for Wentz to start. Minnesota invested quite a bit of its summer in building its offense around Murray, though, so it probably wants to see if he can get going once he’s ready to return to the field before bailing on this experiment. The Vikings have another big divisional matchup on their hands in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears, so all eyes will be on Murray’s status at practice throughout the week.
Insider Issues Definitive Update on Vikings’ Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz Dilemma