Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell announced Thursday that Carson Wentz will start at quarterback for the team, with Kyler Murray out due to a hamstring strain. Max Brosmer will serve as the backup.
O'Connell had initially stated earlier in the week that Murray would remain the starter if he overcame a sore hamstring. However, after evaluating Murray on Monday and getting imaging, the team determined he has a hamstring strain. "Don't believe it to be much more than a week-to-week kind of thing right now," O'Connell said, "but 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."
The decision to bench Murray is attributed to the injury, but also comes amid offensive struggles. Since joining the Vikings on a one-year contract in March, Murray has thrown five touchdown passes in six games, ranking him tied for 29th in the NFL. The team's passing offense is averaging 165 yards per game, 31st in the league, and the offense is scoring 20 points per game, 27th in the NFL. The Vikings' success this season, leading the NFC North with a 6-1 record, has been primarily driven by their defense, which has allowed the fewest points in the league.
This marks the second time this season Wentz has stepped into the starting role. He previously took over after Murray suffered a concussion in the regular-season opener and led the team to a comeback win. Wentz also started the following game, a 9-3 victory against the Chicago Bears.
"There's a ton of confidence in Carson," O'Connell said. The coach also noted that there were signs of impatience with Murray's performance, referencing missed opportunities to star receiver Justin Jefferson after a loss to Detroit. "A couple that we missed maybe a little high, one on schedule, one off schedule," O'Connell said regarding passes to Jefferson. "And, I thought there were some play-pass chances that we didn't see or didn't pull the trigger on."