Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray out with hamstring strain, Carson Wentz to start
The gist
Vikings backup quarterback Carson Wentz will start Monday night against the Buffalo Bills with Kyler Murray out on a strained hamstring.
Murray's injury puts the 6-1 Vikings' season in the hands of a 33-year-old on his sixth team.
How it unfolded
- Aug 11, 2026The Vikings named Kyler Murray their starting quarterback for the 2026 season, head coach Kevin O'Connell announced.
- Nov 2, 2026Murray suffered a hamstring injury on a read-option play early in the fourth quarter of the Vikings' 19-15 loss to the Detroit Lions, their first loss of the season (6-1).
- Nov 5, 2026O'Connell announced Carson Wentz will start Monday night against the Buffalo Bills, with Murray out and Max Brosmer as backup; he said injured reserve is not a consideration and called the injury week to week.
Key terms
- quarterback
- An offensive football position whose player usually lines up behind the line and leads the offense, often throwing passes.
- hamstring strain
- Any of the three muscles at the back of the thigh that bend the knee and extend the hip.
- read-option
- A defensive statistic counting tackles that stop the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage.
Source: Wikipedia