Vikings sit Murray with hamstring strain, will start Wentz at QB against the Bills on Monday night

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray will miss at least the next game because of a hamstring strain, coach Kevin O'Connell announced on Thursday.

Carson Wentz will start instead against Buffalo on Monday, with Max Brosmer serving as the backup. Murray's status will be evaluated week to week, O'Connell said, with the hope he can be ready to play by Nov. 15 when the Vikings (6-1) visit Green Bay. Murray is not under consideration for injured reserve, O'Connell said, which would require a minimum four-game absence.

“We do feel like we’d be putting him at risk by possibly turning this into a more significant injury than it already is,” O'Connell said.

Murray was forced out of the season opener after 11 snaps because of a concussion that also kept him out of the following game. Wentz threw three touchdown passes in the rally to beat Green Bay and started the rainy victory at Chicago, going 23 for 39 for 276 yards with six sacks and no turnovers while Murray was out.

Wentz, the second overall pick in the 2016 draft, went 2-3 as the starter last year while J.J. McCarthy was sidelined. O’Connell sidestepped a question about whether Wentz could keep the job with a strong performance even after Murray is cleared.

“There's a ton of confidence in Carson,” O'Connell said. “He's already helped us.”

Murray was hurt on a read-option run in the fourth quarter at Detroit last week when he turned the corner past star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson for a 9-yard gain. Murray remained in the game as the Vikings took their first loss, but an MRI exam on Monday confirmed the strain after he had reported soreness.

O'Connell, who declined to specify the severity of the injury, stressed the importance of a cautious approach with an injury that can linger if it's not fully healed. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson wound up missing seven games with a hamstring strain in 2023. With Murray struggling to find a rhythm throwing the ball, the Vikings will be wary to send him out if he can't run at full speed.

“Just knowing that Kyler needs his mobility, it's a big huge part of what makes him an effective player,” O'Connell said.

Since Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles tendon at Green Bay on Oct. 29, 2023, O'Connell and the Vikings over a span of 52 games will have switched starting quarterbacks for injury or performance 17 different times, including 14 in-season changes and five in-game.

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