Murray Ruled Out of Vikings Debut After First-Quarter Head-and-Neck Hit
21 sourcesUpdated Sep 14, 2026
Kyler Murray's Minnesota Vikings debut ended in the first quarter of the Sept. 13, 2026 season opener against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. On 3rd-and-7 he scrambled right out of the pocket and tried to slide near the first-down marker when Packers safety Javon Bullard lunged in with helmet-to-helmet contact; Lukas Van Ness also hit him. Bullard was penalized for unnecessary roughness. Murray lay on the turf displaying a fencing posture, a neurological sign noted by Minnesota Sports Fan and USA Today's For The Win. Trainers and team personnel checked him on the field. He then walked to the locker room under his own power and was ruled out for the remainder of the game with a concussion, entering the NFL's concussion evaluation protocol. The New York Post timed the play at 6:07 left in the first quarter. Before the injury Murray completed 3 of 5 passes for 18 yards, threw an interception on his first pass attempt as a Viking, completed three of his next four throws, and ran for nine yards. Carson Wentz took over at quarterback with J.J. McCarthy as the emergency option and finished the drive Murray had started, which ended in a Will Reichard field goal.
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No center coverage yet — a bubble gap.
That kind of head and neck contact always makes me worry about how these hits keep happening.
Wentz has started plenty of games before so the Vikings should still be competitive here.
Murray needs to take all the time necessary for that concussion check before any return.
