Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell announced on Thursday that the team would start Carson Wentz over Kyler Murray on Monday night against the Buffalo Bills due to Murray’s hamstring injury suffered last Sunday.
Some have postulated that this could be a soft benching of sorts, and that the injury is not as severe as the coaching staff are making it out to be.
Kyler Murray IR Move ‘Not Under Consideration’
But amid the unfortunate news for the 29-year old, there is some positivity in that O’Connell revealed that moving him to the injured reserve list is not on the cards at present moment.
“Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell says IR is not a consideration for QB Kyler Murray’s hamstring strain.” Alec Lewis of The Athletic reported on Thursday.
This is obviously a good sign for Murray himself; he won’t have to be out of commission fully for the next four weeks.
Does Kyler Murray IR Decision Prove ‘Soft Benching’ Theory?
Not placing him on IR could also lend credence to the soft benching theory; O’Connell may be using Monday night as a trial period for Wentz under the guise of the injury, and if the former Eagle performs better than Murray he will be handed the starting job indefinitely.
Now, not placing Murray on IR does not inherently imply this; O’Connell added that Murray’s injury was week-to-week not month-to-month.
Yet it not even being “under consideration”, especially for a notoriously tricky injury like the hamstring, perhaps adds fuel to the flames that his inability to play may have been exaggerated in order to enact the – potentially temporary – change at the position.
O’Connell was fairly unequivocal about the status of Murray as the team’s QB1 if healthy earlier in the week, but head coaches rarely tip their hand in such a way as to display a lack of confidence in a starting quarterback unless something has gone truly terribly wrong.
If Wentz shows out and helps the Vikings land the win on Monday night, it could be a long road back to the starting job for Murray.
Kyler Murray Injury Update Lends Credence to ‘Soft Benching’ Theory