Kyler Murray exits Vikings debut with concussion after scary hit to head

Kyler Murray exited Sunday’s Vikings season opener after suffering a concussion from a scary hit to the head while sliding with the ball in the first quarter of Minnesota’s season opener, which sent him to the team’s locker room almost immediately. 

The Vikings announced he was out for the remainder of the game with the head injury a short time after. 

Carson Wentz took over under center for Minnesota.

The collision occurred with 6:07 left in the first quarter after Murray scrambled to his right out of the pocket and started running down the field. Murray, anticipating being tackled, attempted to slide when he got crunched by two Packers defenders. 

Packers defensive end Lukas Van Ness connected with Murray’s helmet with his arm, which started to knock it off, and safety Javon Bullard also made contact with the QB’s head and knocked his helmet off. 

Murray, 29, was down in pain and one Vikings player almost immediately waved for team trainers to come over to assist him.

The hit took place near the Packers sideline and members of the Green Bay staff also rushed to his aid. 

Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray (1) is hit in the head by the Packers’ Lukas Van Ness (90) on Sept. 13, 2026. Getty Images

Murray was able to walk off the field, but he went straight to the Vikings locker room with the team’s medical staff to be further evaluated. 

Bullard was called for a personal foul for the hit and Wentz came into the game to take over at quarterback for Minnesota. 

Prior to the injury, Murray completed three passes for 18 yards and threw one interception in his Vikings debut. 

Murray signed with the Vikings this offseason on a one-year contract worth a veteran’s minimum after he was released by the Cardinals after seven seasons in Arizona. 

Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray (1) loses his helmet after getting hit in the head against the Packers on Sept. 13, 2026. Getty Images

Murray was named the Vikings’ starter in mid-August after a training camp battle with J.J. McCarthy, who entered Sunday as the third-stringer.

“Kyler will begin the process of really looking at things now as our starter,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters last month when he announced the decision. “We’ll still be getting J.J. a lot of work, a lot of reps, because it’s very important that his development and ongoing growth and arrow up, that we feel very positively about, continues.”