What was meant to be a prove-it year for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray has now gone up in the air after he suffered a brutal hit in the opener vs. the Green Bay Packers.

Murray has been diagnosed with a concussion, which can take him out for some time as he enters concussion protocol.

Murray suffered the injury during the first quarter. On third-and-7, Murray was scrambling outside the pocket. As he tried to gain a short amount of yardage, he was caught between the Packers defenders Javon Bullard and Lukas Van Ness.

The contact sent Murray to the turf, knocked his helmet off, and left him displaying a concerning response immediately after the collision. The quarterback struggled to get back to his feet and was helped off the field by Vikings trainers.

Subsequently, he was taken to the medical tent for evaluation before he eventually left for the locker room. However, the team later confirmed that Murray would not return to play the rest of the game, as Wentz replaced him in the Week 1 matchup.

The injury came after an already difficult start for Murray. His first pass as a Viking was intercepted by Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon, but that quickly became secondary to concerns about his health. Murray completed 3 of 5 passes for 19 yards and tallied an interception, along with nine rushing yards on two carries.

The Vikings had brought Murray in on a one-year deal earlier this offseason, despite having a young quarterback in J.J. McCarthy.The two battled for the starting quarterback role, but head coach Kevin O’Connell eventually handed the keys to the former Arizona Cardinals quarterback. McCarthy became QB3 with Carson Wentz’s presence in the depth chart, who was QB2.

Wentz, who is playing his eleventh season, stepped up for the Vikings in Murray’s absence. He threw for 133 yards and three touchdowns, helping Minnesota defeat the Packers 39-22.

“Football is a funny game,” Wentz said, “but it’s fun to be on this side of it.”

“That’s why he’s here,” O’Connell said. “For him to come in and do what he did and just be part of that calming presence that allowed our team to continue playing, I can’t say enough about him.”

Wentz spent five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, who were developing him to be their franchise star. He was QB1 for the team until he was injured in 2017, when he was replaced by Nick Foles, who eventually led the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory. After his Philly stint ended in 2020, Wentz has been jumping across teams.

Carson Wentz has suited up for five different teams in the last five years.

Murray came to Minnesota after being released by the Arizona Cardinals, with whom he played the last seven years. Injuries and time away from the field had become a major factor, as he played a full season only once after 2020. It was a tough reality check for Kyler Murray, who was formerly the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft. At Arizona, his record stood at 38-48-1.

Minnesota, which has struggled to find a franchise quarterback since perhaps Kirk Cousins, was cautious but desperate. McCarthy is still an inexperienced quarterback, having missed the 2024 season and playing only 10 games in 2025. Murray had to nail this opportunity to extend the longevity of his career, with the Vikings entrusting him with QB1 responsibilities.

“I take pride in how I play the game, what I bring to the game,” Murray said in March. “And I just want my teammates to know that I’m riding for them regardless of the circumstances, and that they can count on me. So contractually, [the details don’t] matter to me. I’m gonna give this organization everything I got.”

However, Murray has developed a tendency to be injured. He played through a hamstring injury in 2020, missed three weeks in 2021, tore his ACL 14 weeks into the 2022 season, and played only five games in 2025. Kyler Murray came to Minnesota with a total of 20,460 passing yards, 3,193 rushing yards, 153 total touchdowns, and 60 INTs.

The NFL’s concussion protocol has five phases, and players can only progress after meeting all the criteria in each phase, without showing signs of concussion. There is no set time limit as such; it depends on how quickly a player can progress through the checks.

Will Kyler Murray be able to return quickly? We will have to wait and watch.