Wentz helps Vikes grind out road win in Chicago

Schefter added that Murray is expected to clear concussion protocol next week. He was limited throughout practice this week before being ruled out on Friday. Murray made progress through the protocol during the week but couldn’t get the green light before the weekend. Carson Wentz will make one more start. Even with another strong showing, Wentz is all but certain to return to backup duties once Murray is healthy.

Wentz played serviceably last week after starting QB Kyler Murray suffered a concussion. The Bears’ pass defense looks like a unit worth targeting in fantasy. Wentz can be viewed as a QB2 with decent upside, though only WR Justin Jefferson can be viewed as the clear-cut safe fantasy starter.

Murray logs his second limited session of the week. He has a chance to play, but we simply will not know his status until the team announces that he has passed the NFL’s concussion protocol. If Vikings QB2 Carson Wentz gets the start against the Bears, he would be a worthwhile QB2 in fantasy.

Murray was in a fencing posture after taking a hit to the head from Javon Bullard in the first quarter of Sunday’s game against the Packers. Murray was reportedly in good spirits after the game, but he will have to pass a series of tests in the coming days in time to be cleared for next week’s game against the Bears. While the Vikings are unsure whether or not Murray will be available, it’s not at all uncommon for a concussed player to miss the following week’s game. We’ll see how things unfold over the week, but we wouldn’t be surprised if Carson Wentz draws the start next week with J.J. McCarthy serving as his backup.

Kyler Murray took a brutal shot to the head in the first quarter and was quickly ruled out with a concussion. Wentz’s production came in fits and starts, but he did ultimately bring the Vikings back from a 12-point deficit. Minnesota’s defense then put the pressure on Jordan Love and forced back-to-back turnovers that gave Wentz the ball in the red zone. Jordan Mason scored a touchdown on the first drive and Wentz put an exclamation point on the day with a short touchdown toss to Jefferson on the second. Assuming Murray misses Week 2, Wentz will be in the QB2 mix for Superflex players. He faces a Bears defense that just gave up 37 points to the Panthers.

Murray scrambled to his right and slid late. Packers defender Javon Bullard dove into his head as he went to the ground, knocking Murray’s helmet off entirely. Bullard was flagged for unnecessary roughness. Murray left the game for further evaluation. Carson Wentz is now under center.

KOC didn’t mince words, saying, “This gives us the best chance to win this Sunday.” O’Connell did note that the backup quarterback decisions will be made on a week-to-week basis. Still, this serves as another indictment of J.J. McCarthy, who will presumably be inactive for Week 1. The former first-round pick is unlikely to play at all this year and will likely be looking for a new team after the season ends.

Teasley did not say whether McCarthy will be the backup or third-string quarterback. McCarthy is practicing in full after missing time with an ankle injury late in camp. His spotty play during training camp and the preseason, plus the missed time due to injury, all but guarantee Carson Wentz will be the team’s backup to open the year. As the QB3, McCarthy will likely be a healthy scratch, only able to enter the game if both quarterbacks ahead of him go down with injuries. The fact that he is expected to be on the Week 1 roster only means Teasley was unable to find someone willing to trade even a late-round pick for McCarthy.

Wentz started this game and was on the field for two drives, both of which resulted in punts. J.J. McCarthy missed this game with an ankle issue and was already fighting for the backup job. The missed practice time and recurring injury issues likely have him behind Wentz on the depth chart when Week 1 comes around. The hope for Vikings fans is that Murray is a capable distributor of the football and neither Wentz nor McCarthy sees the field this year.

This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, but in case there were any questions about Wentz impacting McCarthy, those can now be laid to rest. Seifert reports the decision to bring back Wentz is “about avoiding the depth emergencies” the Vikings experienced at QB in 2023 and 2025, which resulted from multiple injuries at the position. Wentz, 33, appeared in five games for the Vikings last season, going 2-3 as a starter while throwing for 1,216-6-5 on 169 attempts. A shoulder injury permanently sidelined him for the season after a Week 8 loss to the Chargers, but Wentz should be good to go at the start of next season, and could open the season as high as QB2 on the depth chart — assuming Kyler Murray wins the starting job.