Minnesota Vikings Make Puzzling Announcement After First Loss

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray is injured according to the Vikings. Per ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, Murray is out with what Minnesota said was a "sore hamstring."

It's unclear the severity of the said injury, but the news means that Vikings backup quarterback Carson Wentz is no longer the backup. It's a lineup change that could provide Minnesota a significant spark given what he has shown in the early going.

The decision may indicate that the team is not interested in trading for former starting quarterback Kirk Cousins who is currently pacing for MVP candidacy at the end of the year. The Vikings might be moving forward with the quarterbacks they have.

Outkick's Armando Salguero discussed the bold move by the Vikings to give Wentz a chance. Here's some of what he had to say.

"This is obviously a decision based on an injury but also based on performance. Murray has not played to expectations since joining the team in March on a one-year contract. He's thrown five TD passes in six games and that ranks him tied for 29th in the NFL.

The team's passing 'attack' has been mostly in retreat while averaging 165 yards per game, which is 31st in the NFL. And, most importantly, the offense is 27th in the league, averaging 20 points per game.

The reason the Vikings lead the NFC North with a 6-1 record is because the 93 points they've allowed is the lowest mark in the league. That, obviously, is not sustainable, and there were signs that the Vikings’ patience with Murray could be running out regardless of the injury. ...

(All) factors give the Vikings’ coaching staff reason to move in a different direction without embarrassing Murray, whom the team still hopes can contribute once he’s fully healthy. So, we're seeing the soft benching of Murray."

No doubt, quarterbacks have played through more pain than a sore hamstring before. The decision to move to Wentz, sore hamstring or not, feels like a decision made by the Vikings. That's not to say that he does not have an injury. It is to say that it sounds like Minnesota wants to move to Wentz.

Does giving Wentz the football make the Vikings a stronger contender? Wentz was the quarterback for the Vikings' 9-3 victory over the Chicago Bears. Still, perhaps it is worth a shot as the team looks to legitimize its 6-1 start to the 2026 season.