Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray has cleared the NFL concussion protocol and will start Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coach Kevin O’Connell said Monday.
The announcement came eight days after Murray’s Vikings debut ended in the first quarter against Green Bay. On the team’s 11th offensive snap, Murray scrambled on third-and-7 and was hit by Packers edge rusher Lukas Van Ness and safety Javon Bullard as he went to the ground. His helmet came off. He was ruled out and placed in the protocol.
Carson Wentz replaced him and threw three touchdown passes in a 39-22 comeback win. Wentz started again Sunday and helped Minnesota beat Chicago 9-3. The Vikings are 2-0, the only undefeated team in the NFC North.
Wentz has completed 23 of 39 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover since taking over. Murray finished his brief Week 1 appearance three of five for 18 yards and one interception. He also ran twice for nine yards.
Murray signed a one-year, veteran-minimum contract with Minnesota in March, one day after the Arizona Cardinals released him. The Vikings pay $1.3 million of his salary this season. Arizona is responsible for the rest.
The 29-year-old beat out 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy for the starting job in training camp. McCarthy is now the third quarterback. Wentz, 33, made the 100th start of his career last Sunday.
Murray was the No. 1 overall pick in 2019. In seven seasons with Arizona he passed for more than 20,000 yards and rushed for more than 3,000. He made two Pro Bowls. Injuries have repeatedly interrupted that production, including a torn ACL in 2022 and a foot injury that limited him to five games last year.
O’Connell previously described the Packers hit as “a violent, physical play” but said it was not dirty.
“It would be one thing if there was a headfirst slide and a clear declaration,” he said last week. “But I don’t put any fault on anybody there.”
The NFL requires players diagnosed with concussions to complete a five-phase return-to-participation protocol. An independent neurological consultant, jointly approved by the league and the players’ union, must also clear the player before he can return to a game. League data have shown a median return time of about nine days.
Murray practiced in a limited capacity last week but was not cleared in time for the Bears game. O’Connell said then that Murray was “on track” to return in Week 3. Monday’s announcement confirmed that timeline.
Tampa Bay is 0-2 after losses to Cincinnati and Cleveland. The Buccaneers have not started 0-2 since 2014. Kickoff Sunday is 4:05 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium.
Murray’s mobility gives O’Connell a different look than the pocket passers he has typically used. Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson remain the focal points of the passing game.
A healthy Murray would give Minnesota continuity after several seasons of quarterback changes under O’Connell. The coach has already used multiple starters in each of his years with the franchise.
Wentz’s two-game stretch bought the Vikings time. The question now is whether Murray can stay on the field and turn a 2-0 start into a sustained run.
