All of the Sudden, Vikings Confront an Uncomfortable Reality

Moments after coming back to beat the Packers 39-22, Kevin O’Connell didn’t have any firm news on the Kyler Murray concussion. Nevertheless, the fact remains that the Vikings are now confronting a brutal reality.

Losing the QB1 means seeing the quarterback total move from four options down to three. The expectation should be that Murray is done for a minimum of a single game. The roster boasts Carson Wentz alongside J.J. McCarthy as the remaining options. Dipping into the practice squad talent means elevating Max Brosmer, a move that appears likely for Week 2. Does there still need to be more work to reinforce the quarterback spot?

Vikings Confront QB Adversity Yet Again

On ESPN, Kevin Seifert talked about the Murray concussion.

“Multiple players confirmed that Murray’s body was in a fencing posture,” Seifert writes, “a common but scary immediate reaction to brain trauma, and the Vikings’ medical staff diagnosed him with a concussion.”

Some more background from the veteran writer: “Murray, who won the Vikings’ starting job this summer after signing a one-year contract in March, suffered the concussion on the 11th play of his regular-season debut in Minnesota. He had thrown an interception on his first pass before completing three of his next four for 18 yards.”

As things stand, Minnesota’s plan at quarterback remains uncertain. Murray could be back before too long, but that was a brutal hit when he was in a vulnerable position.

The absolute best thing the team — and player — can do is to ensure he’s 100% healthy before considering coming back. A young man’s brain health will always be more important than a sport, so time off is the way to go here.

Look for Murray to be out for Week 2.

If, however, there’s a need for more than just a single week off, then Minnesota may need to bring in some passer talent during the season, as was the case in both of 2023 and 2025.

After all, Carson Wentz took a few good hits over the weekend, grimacing a time or two along the way. The older passer has worked through a variety of injuries in his past, so we’re not considering somebody who is impervious to pain.

Next up would be McCarthy, the young passer who is now the QB3 largely due to suffering so many injuries. In fact, McCarthy has already missed time in 2026, getting kept out of the Denver preseason game due to an ankle ailment. Yet again, the Vikings are working with somebody who is far from bulletproof.

Boasting Max Brosmer on the practice squad is the correct call. The undrafted sophomore works hard and is trying to develop into a long-term QB2 or QB3. Brosmer was supposed to work away from the spotlight as the QB4, but that’s a plan that will probably be put aside for a minimum of a single week.

With all of that being said, the Vikings are now confronting the uncomfortable reality of possibly needing another arm to move the pigskin. Per Spotrac, NFL free agency offers uninspiring options such as Jake Browning and Kyle Trask.

Somebody who could make a ton of sense, though, is Nick Mullens, who is hanging around on Jacksonville’s practice squad. He’s a veteran with a gunslinger’s mentality without having a gunslinger’s arm strength. Still, he would do the trick in a pinch.

Minnesota’s Week 2 game is going to take place in Chicago. Soldier Field has often been a house of horrors for the Vikings, but hopefully that won’t extend to passer health in the upcoming game.

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