The Minnesota Vikings bounced back from an opening-play interception off the hand of Kyler Murray who exited the game against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 with a concussion just 10 offensive snaps later. The most pertinent questions are now: how long Murray will take to recover, and what will the team do at quarterback until he does?
Judd Zulgad of SKOR North offered reporting on Monday, September 14 that didn’t directly answer either of those questions, but gave a strong idea of where things stand under center in Minneapolis six days ahead of a road showdown against the NFC North Division rival Chicago Bears.
“[Murray] was at the facility today watching film, it sounds like he’s in as good of shape as possible,” Zulgad said. “But the key thing is, he’s in the concussion protocol. Until he is released from that, and that’s up to the doctors, he’s not gonna be able to take part in football activities.”
Carson Wentz Best Bet to Start for Vikings Against Bears in Week 2
Minnesota will hit the practice field on Wednesday, at which point a very clear picture of the QB hierarchy for Week 2 will take shape.
However, Zulgad suggested that Carson Wentz is the strong favorite to start in Chicago because of both his play on Sunday in Murray’s stead — three touchdown passes in a 17-point win — and the likelihood that Wentz takes the majority of practice snaps with the first-team offense in the coming days.
“I think Carson Wentz almost certainly starts the game on Sunday,” Zulgad continued. “With the way [Murray] took that hit on Sunday, I gotta think it’s gonna be a few more days than that [before he is back]. So I think Wentz starts at least one game, perhaps more. We’ll see where things go. Concussions, keep in mind, are weird because there can be re-occurrence issues.
“For right now, if I was a betting man, I would bet on Carson Wentz getting the start at quarterback on Sunday,” Zulgad added.
Kyler Murray Could Potentially Lose Starting Spot to Carson Wentz Even When Healthy
Concussions most commonly sideline a player for one game, after which the majority are able to return to the field. Some players are able to come back as soon as the next game following the injury, however.
Murray has a meaningful injury history, but the 29-year-old quarterback suffered his first known concussion on Sunday. Concussion impacts tend to get exponentially worse as the frequency of their occurrences increases, which means Murray’s resilience to the hit should be as strong now as it ever will be in his career.
However, if Murray can’t beat the odds and return to the gridiron against the Bears next week, it will be JJ McCarthy who steps in as the backup quarterback behind Wentz.
How things go in Chicago could determine the path the Vikings follow in Week 3, whether Murray returns to full health by then or not.
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