The Minnesota Vikings are struggling with Kyler Murray at quarterback and the situation may have become more complicated when Kevin O’Connell told reporters on Monday that he is dealing with a hamstring injury and will undergo a full evaluation before the team begins its preparation for the Week 9 matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
“It’s sore today. So we’re going to go through a full eval of that as we work through the day,” O’Connell said via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.
The Athletic’s Alec Lewis also noted that O’Connell said he “didn’t think we’re there yet” when asked about Murray’s availability for next Monday’s game. But it also echoes a similar narrative from a year ago that could lead to Murray being “soft benched” in favor of Carson Wentz.
Minnesota Vikings QB Kyler Murray’s hamstring injury opens the door for another soft benching
Last season, Vikings fans added the term “soft benching” to their vocabulary after J.J. McCarthy suffered a high ankle sprain during a Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. While McCarthy was legitimately injured and missed five games before returning, many internet doctors speculated that O’Connell pulled McCarthy aside to work on his mechanics and decision-making after he was thrown into the fire at the start of the season.
Running an offense predicated on attacking downfield, McCarthy struggled, leading a Week 9 victory over the Detroit Lions, but completing 52.5 percent of his passes for 628 yards and four touchdowns with seven interceptions over the four games before suffering a concussion during a Week 12 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Once again, McCarthy had legitimate injuries that sidelined him for most of the season. But if a soft benching is a thing, the Vikings would have a legitimate reason to use it with Murray.
Signed as an upgrade over McCarthy, Murray hasn’t panned out. In addition to throwing an interception on his first dropback as a Viking, he’s completed 64.9 percent of his passes, but has managed just 1,022 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions over six starts.
Murray’s performance against the Lions didn’t inspire confidence that things were turning around, as he completed 17-of-29 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns but also threw an interception during a 19-15 loss.
The performance was so disappointing that Justin Jefferson made the rare move to decline speaking to reporters after the game and many have speculated that a change at quarterback could be coming, which may suggest that Murray’s hamstring injury could be used as an excuse to switch to Wentz or a signal caller acquired via trade.
Vikings have little reason to soft bench Kyler Murray
As for the actual chance that Murray’s hamstring could be a soft benching, it’s unlikely. Murray did suffer an injury late in Sunday’s loss and was hobbled as the Vikings took the field for their final drives.
But Murray represents the most upside on the Vikings’ roster, even if he continues to struggle in Minnesota’s offense, which is why O’Connell also told reporters that the Vikings are committed to Murray as their starting quarterback if he can get healthy in time for Monday’s game.
There’s also little reason for the Vikings to play coy with Murray’s injury. Where McCarthy was hailed as the Vikings’ quarterback of the future one year ago, Murray is signed to a one-year, $1.2 million contract, making it easy for the Vikings to bench him and move on.
The Vikings also play on Monday night, giving Murray extra time to recover. But he could be on a short leash if he starts and the offense doesn’t improve.
For now, Murray’s injury seems a little too convenient. But it will give the Vikings’ offense something to worry about as they prepare for a primetime matchup next week.
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