Vikings' Kyler Murray Out Week-to-Week With Strained Hamstring

The road has been mostly smooth for the Minnesota Vikings in the first half of Kyler Murray’s debut season, even as much of the team’s success can be attributed to Brian Flores’ havoc-wreaking defense.

Murray has also contributed 1,022 passing yards (64.9% completion rate), a 5:3 TD:INT ratio, and 167 rushing yards at 5.8 yards per carry.

Yet, the injury bug has struck Murray for the second time this season.

Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports that Murray has been diagnosed with a hamstring strain and is considered week-to-week, making it highly unlikely the veteran quarterback will play in Monday night’s Week 9 interconference showdown against the Buffalo Bills.

Murray Set for Second Absence of Season

Murray played wire to wire in Sunday’s Week 8 loss to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field, completing 17 of 29 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns, while throwing one interception and rushing four times for 35 yards and tossing a two-point conversion.

However, Lewis reported postgame that Murray had dealt with hamstring tightness, per head coach Kevin O’Connell. The first-year Viking unsurprisingly sat out Thursday’s opening practice in Week 9 prep, and Carson Wentz began ramping up for what would be his second start of 2026.

If it happens, Murray’s absence would be his second of the season. He also sat out a Week 2 road matchup against the Bears with a concussion he suffered just 11 plays into the season-opening victory against the Packers.

Murray’s Prognosis Optimistic, for Now

Despite the week-to-week prognosis and expected Week 9 absence, O’Connell noted Thursday that Kyler Murray isn’t expected to be placed on injured reserve.

Nevertheless, soft-tissue injuries are notoriously unpredictable. Minnesota enters Week 9 at 6-1 after its first loss of the season to Detroit, but after Monday night’s clash, the Vikings travel to Green Bay and San Francisco in Weeks 10 and 11, another pair of tough matchups.

Murray’s presence would naturally be highly valued in those games, but with an experienced backup in Wentz, O’Connell may well err on the side of caution as long as there is any discernible risk of re-injury.

Carson Wentz Expected to Start in Week 9

Wentz completed 11 of 20 passes for 143 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in his aforementioned Week 2 start.

Additionally, after taking over for Murray early in Week 1, Wentz went 12-for-19 for 133 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Last season, he completed 65.1% of his passes for 1,216 yards with a 6:5 TD:INT ratio and rushed 11 times for 57 yards while leading Minnesota to a 2-3 record as a starter in Weeks 3-8.

While Wentz has proven capable of helping the Vikings win games with him under center, the Bills, which have rattled off three straight victories, are currently listed as 3-to-3.5-point road favorites.