playKevin SeifertSep 13, 2026, 05:14 PM ETCloseKevin Seifert is a staff writer who covers the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL at ESPN. Kevin has covered the NFL for over 20 years, joining ESPN in 2008. He was previously a beat reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Washington Times. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia.Multiple AuthorsOpen Extended ReactionsEAGAN, Minn. — Quarterback Kyler Murray was chatting with teammates and coaches in the Minnesota Vikings’ victorious postgame locker room Sunday, hours after a hit to his head left him motionless on the field at U.S.
Bank Stadium.Multiple players confirmed that Murray’s body was in a fencing posture, a common but scary immediate reaction to brain trauma, and the Vikings’ medical staff diagnosed him with a concussion. Murray was unavailable for comment after being put in the NFL’s concussion protocol, but coach Kevin O’Connell was among those who were encouraged by his disposition in the locker room after the Vikings’ 39-22 victory over the Green Bay Packers.”I don’t have a lot to update,” O’Connell said, “other than I did just see him and he seemed to be doing pretty well.”Backup Carson Wentz, named the No. 2 quarterback last week, replaced Murray and threw three touchdown passes. Wentz will be the starter until Murray returns, with J.J. McCarthy as the likely backup and possibly Max Brosmer — currently on the practice squad — at No. 3.
The Vikings’ next game is Sunday at the Chicago Bears.Murray, who won the Vikings’ starting job this summer after signing a one-year contract in March, suffered the concussion on the 11th play of his regular-season debut in Minnesota. He had thrown an interception on his first pass before completing three of his next four for 18 yards. Then, on a third-and-6 with 6 minutes, 16 seconds left in the first quarter, he began scrambling.Murray slid at the Vikings’ 35-yard line as Packers defensive end Lukas Van Ness and safety Javon Bullard converged. Van Ness’ hit pulled Murray’s helmet while Bullard hit him with his right shoulder.
Referee Shawn Hochuli’s crew penalized Bullard for unnecessary roughness.Right tackle Brian O’Neill was one of the first players to arrive. O’Neill shoved Bullard and said he regretted not doing more in retaliation.”It was so bang, bang,” O’Neill said. “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.”Said receiver Justin Jefferson: “Obviously somebody hit him while he was down. But as soon as that happened and I saw his reaction to that, it was really just frustration. I hate to see anyone go down with an injury, especially an injury like that. For our starting quarterback to go down that early in that way, it was definitely very tough to see.”Running back Aaron Jones Sr. was watching from the Vikings’ sideline but acknowledged he was alarmed.”It almost puts me in a bad head space in a way because you never want to see anybody get hit like that,” Jones said.
“And then especially to me, when somebody’s posturing on the field, that’s when it’s scary. We know what we sign up for, but at the same time you never want to see that happen and you hope that it’s never one of your teammates or you.”So we’re praying for him, and it takes something from you a little bit and man, it brings you back to reality.”The Vikings trailed 3-0 at the time, but the Packers scored on their next two possessions and ultimately held a 19-10 lead at halftime. Wentz appeared a bit rusty after taking only a handful of reps in training camp, and none in practice with the starting offense since he was named the No. 2 quarterback.But Wentz settled in to complete six of his final seven passes, including two of his touchdowns. Overall, Wentz completed 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards.
In the process, he became the third NFL backup since at least 1950 to throw three touchdowns and no interceptions in his team’s season opener, a testament to how rare of a position he was thrust into Sunday.”It was a different process [this summer], I’m not going to lie,” Wentz said. “But I’ve stayed as ready as I could. Mental reps, reps after practice, whatever that looks like, and at the end of the day leaving it in God’s hands. I’m confident in what I bring to the table, what I can do and if my number gets called and that I can step up when needed.”So who knew how it was going to play out?
None of us did in here, but I trusted God through it. Football is a funny game.”
