The Minnesota Vikings will turn to veteran Carson Wentz to start Monday’s game against the Buffalo Bills as fellow quarterback Kyler Murray deals with a sore hamstring.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said Murray is week-to-week with the injury, and a stint on injured reserve is “not under consideration at all.”
“For (Murray), 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,” O’Connell said. “So, Carson will start the football game (on Monday) and Max (Brosmer) will back him up.”
The Vikings (6-1) will look to rebound from their first loss of the season when they host the Bills (6-1) in Minneapolis.
Wentz, 33, relieved Murray in a game on Sept. 13 and started the following week while Murray dealt with a concussion.
Wentz has completed 23 of 39 passes for 276 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in two games (one start) this season.
“Obviously, there’s a ton of confidence in Carson,” O’Connell said. “He’s had a major, major role in two wins this year against two really good teams. He’s a steadying presence and a guy we know can go in and play good football, that’s why we feel so great about having him here.
“He’s going to throw a lot of completions. He’s going to put the ball in play. He’s got such a high, high understanding of not only the offense but what he’s looking at on the other side. He has 100 games of experience. He’s the perfect guy in a moment where you can’t have Kyler out there at full strength to go in there.”
A Pro Bowl selection in 2017, Wentz has thrown for 23,902 yards, 162 TDs and 72 picks in 105 regular-season games (100 starts) with the Philadelphia Eagles (2016-20), Indianapolis Colts (2021), Washington Commanders (2022), Los Angeles Rams (2023), Kansas City Chiefs (2024) and Vikings.
The Eagles selected Wentz with the second overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Signed to a one-year, $1.3 million deal in the offseason after being released by the Arizona Cardinals, Murray became the fourth consecutive different quarterback to begin the season for the Vikings, following Kirk Cousins (2023), Sam Darnold (2024) and J.J. McCarthy (2025).
Murray, 29, has completed 64.9% of his passes for 1,022 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions in six games (all starts) this season.
He has thrown for 21,482 yards, 126 touchdowns and 63 interceptions with 3,360 rushing yards and 32 scores in 93 career games (all starts) with the Arizona Cardinals (2019-25) and Vikings.
Selected with the top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma, Murray was the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and made the Pro Bowl in his second and third seasons.
