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Vikings to Start Wentz Against Bills With Murray Out

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In Short: Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell announced that veteran quarterback Carson Wentz will start against the Buffalo Bills after Kyler Murray suffered a hamstring strain.

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell announced Thursday that veteran quarterback Carson Wentz will start in place of Kyler Murray, who is sidelined with a hamstring strain. The decision was made after additional evaluations and imaging this week, which revealed that Murray's injury could worsen if he attempted to play through it.

Wentz, a former Pro Bowl quarterback with over 100 NFL starts, will lead the Vikings in their upcoming Monday Night Football game against the Buffalo Bills. Murray's injury is considered week-to-week, and the team hopes to have him back soon, but protecting his long-term health is the priority.

O'Connell emphasized that Murray's mobility is a critical part of his game and that the team does not want to risk turning the injury into something more serious. He stated, 'For him, his movement skills and the way he plays the game, we do feel like we’d be putting him at risk of possibly turning this into a more significant injury than it is by trying to have him work through it here early on.'

Wentz has already helped the Vikings secure two wins this season against strong opponents. O'Connell expressed confidence in Wentz, saying, 'My expectation is Carson’s going to play really well.' He added, 'He’s got such a high understanding of not only the offense, but what he’s looking at on the other side.'

The Vikings, now 6-1, are looking to rebound against the Buffalo Bills, who are considered one of the best teams in the NFL. O'Connell said, 'Carson will start the football game and Max will back him up.' Max Brosmer will serve as the backup quarterback.

Murray's injury is not expected to require a stint on injured reserve, and the team is hopeful he will return soon. O'Connell stated, 'We don’t want to make this strain any worse than it is.'

The Vikings have shifted quarterbacks multiple times during the season due to injuries or performance issues. This marks the 14th time the Vikings have changed quarterbacks since Kirk Cousins tore his right Achilles tendon midway through the 2023 season.

Wentz relieved Murray in a game on September 13 and started the following week while Murray dealt with a concussion. O'Connell expressed optimism about Wentz's performance, saying, 'He’s going to throw a lot of completions. He’s going to put the ball in play.'

What this adds

What's confirmed

• Head coach Kevin O’Connell announced Thursday that veteran Carson Wentz will start in place of Kyler Murray, who suffered a hamstring strain during last Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions.
• After additional evaluations and imaging earlier this week, O’Connell said the Vikings determined Murray’s injury could become more serious if the quarterback attempted to play through it. ***Click the video box above to watch O’Connell presser Nov. 5*** “Carson will start the football game and Max will back him up,” O’Connell said.
• The Minnesota Vikings will have a new starting quarterback Monday night against the Buffalo Bills.
• With Kyler Murray nursing a hamstring injury, the Minnesota Vikings will start Carson Wentz at quarterback against the Buffalo Bills in Week 9.
• EAGAN, Minn. — Kyler Murray will be sidelined for the Vikings Monday Night Football game with a hamstring strain, Head Coach Kevin O'Connell said Thursday.

What's still developing

• O’Connell said that he doesn’t anticipate Murray needing to go on short-term injured reserve.
• Murray entered 2026 ranking 40th out of 45 qualified quarterbacks in throws of 10-22 yards (intermediate throws) between the numbers (over the middle of the field) in 2025.
• Murray's -0.11 expected points added (EPA) per dropback is the fifth worst in the entire NFL, ahead of only Cam Ward (-0.12), Tanner McKee (-0.13), Daniel Jones (-0.19) and Justin Herbert (-0.22).
• But Adam Schefter reported on ESPN today that the Vikings appear to be moving toward Wentz starting against the Bills.
• O'Connell told reporters Thursday that Murray will miss the Week 9 matchup and that placing him on injured reserve is not under consideration at the moment, Yahoo Sports reported.

Sources

• 5 EYEWITNESS NEWSlink
• CBS Sportslink
• ESPN La Crosse 105.5link
• Espnlink
• Fox Newslink
• MPR Newslink
• Minnesota Sports Fanlink
• NBC Sportslink
• NBC10 Philadelphialink
• RG.orglink
• Southern Sports Todaylink
• The Flag - AM 1100 and FM 92.3 WZFGlink
• The Viking Agelink
• Vikings.comlink
• fox21online.comlink
• theScorelink
• Purple Insider — video link