The Minnesota Vikings will not have Kyler Murray for Sunday’s NFC North matchup in Chicago. They will not have Jordan Mason or Jauan Jennings, either.
And they still do not know whether they will have Brian O’Neill.
Minnesota ruled Murray out Friday as he continues working through the NFL’s concussion protocol, ensuring that Carson Wentz will make his 100th career start against the Bears. O’Neill is questionable with a knee injury after returning for limited work Friday, while Jennings will miss the game because of a personal family matter.
The Vikings are 1-0, but the offense that rallied past Green Bay in Week 1 could look considerably different at Soldier Field.
Murray made progress throughout the week and participated in all three practices in a limited capacity. Still, the Vikings elected to give their new starter more time after the concussion he suffered on the 11th offensive snap of his debut.
“Kyler showed a lot of progress,” Kevin O’Connell said Friday. “He’s doing well, felt good this week working through it, but he will be out Sunday. Fully anticipate him clearing the protocol early next week with the progress that he’s made.”
The careful decision is understandable. Murray appeared motionless on the field after the first-quarter hit from Packers defenders Lukas Van Ness and Javon Bullard, though he later walked off under his own power and was in the postgame locker room. The Vikings have been encouraged by how he handled meetings, film study and limited practice work, but a concussion is not an injury to rush.
That brings Wentz back into the spotlight.
The 33-year-old replaced Murray against the Packers and completed 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He was rusty early after receiving limited work with the starting offense during training camp, but settled in and completed six of his final seven passes.
Sunday will be Wentz’s sixth start for Minnesota and the 100th of his NFL career. He started five games in place of J.J. McCarthy last season, going 2-3 while completing 65.1% of his passes with six touchdowns and five interceptions. His season ended after a torn labrum and fractured shoulder socket required surgery, but the Vikings re-signed him after adding Murray in March because they wanted more experienced quarterback insurance than they had possessed in 2025.
Now they need it.
O’Connell said the staff spent the week shaping a plan around Wentz’s preferences and strengths. The coach emphasized that Minnesota’s relationship with Wentz, as well as the quarterback’s command of the offense, made the sudden change manageable.
“He got a really good week of work coming off of his performance last week,” O’Connell said. “I know he’s ready to go.”
McCarthy will be Wentz’s backup, with Max Brosmer remaining on the practice squad. O’Connell also noted that Murray’s work with the scout team helped the Vikings prepare for the mobility of Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, even as Minnesota shifted its offensive focus fully toward Wentz.
The quarterback change is only part of the problem.
Mason was placed on injured reserve earlier this week after surgery to repair a fractured thumb. He will miss at least four games after leading Minnesota with 15 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown in the opener. His 28-yard fourth-quarter run helped set up the go-ahead score, and his near-even workload split with Aaron Jones was supposed to be central to the Vikings’ more run-oriented offensive approach.
Instead, it is now Jones’ backfield.
Jones will lead the group, but O’Connell has been clear that the Vikings do not want to overwork the 31-year-old. DeeJay Dallas, who played six offensive snaps and 19 on special teams against Green Bay, is likely to take on a larger role. O’Connell specifically praised Dallas’ protection work and said the veteran’s special-teams physicality translates on offense.
Rookie Demond Claiborne, inactive in Week 1, will also be available. O’Connell said Claiborne put in extra time this week and is ready to contribute.
“I’m really confident in those three guys,” O’Connell said, referring to Jones, Dallas and Claiborne. “We’ll take it as it kind of comes to us.”
The Vikings are also thinner at receiver without Jennings. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison remain the offense’s primary threats, but Myles Price and Tai Felton could now be pushed into more prominent roles. Price already made a major special-teams impact against Green Bay with his 68-yard kickoff return, while Felton has played only three offensive snaps so far.
Then there is O’Neill.
The right tackle’s status may determine just how compromised Minnesota’s offense becomes. He was limited Wednesday, did not practice Thursday and returned for limited work Friday. O’Connell said O’Neill was doing well and that the Vikings would see how he felt after practice before making the final call.
If O’Neill cannot play, free-agent addition Ryan Van Demark is the likely replacement. Van Demark joined Minnesota in March after spending the first few years of his NFL career with Buffalo, and the Vikings have not used him on offense this season.
The Bears enter Sunday without a game-status designation for any player. The Vikings, meanwhile, could be without their starting quarterback, their top Week 1 runner, their third receiver and their starting right tackle.
Wentz delivered when the Vikings needed him last week. On Sunday, he may need to do it again with a much different supporting cast.
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