Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray is in the concussion protocol after being knocked out of the team’s season opener against Green Bay. He was mid-slide when he got sandwiched in between Packers safety Javon Bullard and edge rusher Lukas Van Ness.
He was immediately taken to the locker room and was declared out of the contest shortly thereafter. As of Monday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter has since confirmed that he’s in the concussion protocol. He believes his status for the Vikings’ Week 2 matchup against the Bears is murky at best.
Many believe the hit on Bullard was dirty, and he could be facing a hefty fine. Vikings receiver Jordan Addison threw some gasoline onto that fire when speaking to reporters after the contest.
“I hope he’s alright. I’m going to check on him after this… It was pretty crazy,” Addison said. “I feel like that was a dirty play. He was sliding, but we’ll look at it. Hopefully he’s alright, though.”
Jordan Addison Isn’t On An Island With That Stance, Either
Addison isn’t the only one who thought the play was dirty. Vikings’ starting right tackle Brian O’Neill later told reporters that he regretted not taking a harder stance against Bullard after the play.
“It was so bang, bang,” O’Neill said, via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “You don’t want to freak out if you’re wrong. I was probably wrong to not freak out more than that. So, I kind of wish I took a shot at him.”
The players in the locker room also aren’t the only ones to speak out against the hit. ESPN’s Tedy Bruschi, who enjoyed a 13-year NFL career, also believes there was malicious intent behind the hit.
“That hit right there was to the head and neck area,” Bruschi said on ESPN’s Get Up on Monday morning. “He knew exactly what he was doing with that forearm, that elbow. You can put it in the knees, in the stomach. He wanted to put it on the head and neck, right there.”
Kevin O’Connell Says He Doesn’t Believe The Hit Was Dirty
Vikings quarterback Kevin O’Connell was asked for his take on the hit when speaking to reporters on Monday afternoon. He had a much different take than Addison and Co.
“It was a violent physical play, I know the league took a look at it,” O’Connell said. “As fast as those things happen out there, it would be one thing if there was a head-first slide and a clear declaration, but I don’t put any fault on anybody there.”
Could he mean that wholeheartedly? Maybe. Could this be an example of a coach not wanting to throw an opposing player under the bus? Probably. That’s a far easier path to travel than “Vikings head coach calls out dirty hit by division rivals.”
The fact that the Vikings scored 29 unanswered points to close out the contest probably makes the hit easier to swallow, as well. Sure, Murray’s injury definitely leaves a dark cloud hanging over the facility, but them being 1-0 despite the odds being stacked against them is a ray of sunshine.
It’d be interesting to see whether he’d have a different stance if they had lost the game. Minnesota Vikings fans would certainly prefer a cooler O’Connell and a shiny 1-0 in the standings.
Vikings Star Pass-Catcher Weighs In On “Dirty” Hit On QB Kyler Murray