After the Minnesota Vikings' Week 8 loss to the Detroit Lions, it was revealed that quarterback Kyler Murray suffered a hamstring injury late in the game. On Monday, head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters that Murray is dealing with soreness, and his status for the Week 9 matchup against the Buffalo Bills is up in the air.
With Murray injured and struggling, there are all kinds of quarterback narratives out there regarding the Vikings. Turning to Carson Wentz is the internal option, but there are also wishes about quarterbacks who could be acquired before the trade deadline.
At this point in the season, no one would be talking about Murray's comfort level in the offense or any other notable issues. But here we are, with Murray and O'Connell talking about how close things are to clicking on nearly a weekly basis.
Minnesota Vikings face another quarterback drama after Kyler Murray’s injury
Minnesota Vikings could be working through another quarterback circus after Kyler Murray’s injury
In 2024, the Vikings were finally in good position to draft a long-term answer at quarterback. But a confluence of circumstances led to J.J. McCarthy being traded to the New York Giants before he got a third season in Minnesota.
The Vikings got back on the veteran quarterback carousel last offseason, and it stopped at Murray. Then O'Connell decided to have a competition for the starting job between Murray and McCarthy during OTAs and training camp.
Meanwhile, Murray was robbed of the first-team reps he needed as he learned a new offense. This all happened because O'Connell was afraid McCarthy would become disengaged or ask for a trade. He also may not have wanted to hurt McCarthy's feelings.
Last season, O'Connell lamented McCarthy missing practice for the birth of his first child. He later lamented the flaws in the young quarterback's fundamentals that needed fixing. McCarthy is not without blame for how things turned out, but O'Connell did a lot to push things the way they went, culminating with McCarthy being sent to the Giants.
Murray seems to be keenly aware of the issues he and the Vikings' offense are having, but his head coach and play-caller is not exactly injecting him with confidence either. Even offensive coordinator Wes Phillips added to the mystery, admitting all options are open as the Vikings prepare for the Bills.
“Yeah, I don’t really want to get into an overarching, ‘Hey, this is the [problem].’ The fact of the matter is we lost the game against a tough football team on the road,” Phillips said via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “It stings, but we’ve got to get better moving forward. We’ll see as the week goes on where we’re at in that spot with [VP of health and performance Tyler Williams] and his crew. But yeah, we’ve got to get better. We’re going to actively pursue every avenue we can to make that happen.”
Kevin O’Connell is repeating the same quarterback mistakes with the Vikings
Perhaps based on how the New York Jets treated him when they cut him as a player, O'Connell may not want to do the same thing to a quarterback under his guidance. But at the same time, he won't adjust his offense to better fit Murray, or McCarthy before him, or say things publicly that might boost his quarterback after a rough game.
One way or another, over decades and multiple head coaches, the Vikings always seem to have some sort of quarterback drama. The details are different, but the circus eventually arrives no matter what. O'Connell's background as a player and coach should equip him to put a stop to the circus, but he is now set to drive it in back-to-back years, then throw his hands up as if there's nothing he could have done to make the situation better.
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