Kyler Murray Injury Update Confirms Quarterback Bears Will Face Vs. Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings have released their final injury report of the week and we now know Kyler Murray's status for the game against the Chicago Bears.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray (1) runs the ball against the Green Bay Packers during the first half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Chicago Bears no longer have uncertainty in terms of who the Minnesota Vikings will deploy at quarterback in Week 2.

That's because the Vikings have listed quarterback Kyler Murray as out for the Week 2 contest on Sunday afternoon, which means backup signal-caller Carson Wentz will start and quarterback J.J. McCarthy will serve as his backup.

Murray suffered a concussion on the third drive of the Week 1 game against the Green Bay Packers, which put him in the protocol for Week 2.

Murray was able to log limited practices during the week, which in and of itself was surprising because of how bad his concussion looked initially. However, clearly one week wasn't enough for Murray to get right and play.

Wentz will now make his first start of the season against the Bears. Last week against Green Bay, he completed 12-of-19 passes for 133 yards and one touchdown in the 39-22 Vikings victory.

Along with Murray, wide receiver Jauan Jennings have also been ruled out due to a personal reason, so that will make the Bears' secondary's job a bit easier.

A repreive for Chicago's defense

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz (11) warms up before the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Bears had to prepare for both quarterbacks this week since it wasn't totally certain Murray would sit out given the fact he was at least taking part in practice in some capacity.

Thankfully, the Bears now have some clarity and can fully focus on Wentz for Sunday.

This amounts to a bit of a break for the Bears's defense, as Murray presents far more concerns than Wentz given Murray's athleticism that allows him to better escape the pocket and make plays with his legs.

It's not like Wentz is immobile, though, but he's not anywhere near the kind of elite athlete Murray is. You can make the argument, however, that Wentz might be a better thrower.

Like Murray, Wentz gets banged-up often, so don't be surprised if we see McCarthy enter this game at some point. That would be a disaster for the Vikings as McCarthy was terrible last season and wasn't even good enough to secure the No. 2 job in 2026.

Wentz made five starts for the Vikings last season in place of an injured McCarthy, but the Bears did not see him at all.

In those five contests, Wentz completed 65.1% of his passes for 1,216 yards and six touchdowns to five picks. He fumbled the football three times in his appearances.

While Wentz is a downgrade athletically, he's no push-over and can most certainly get his receivers the football and make the Bears pay if their coverage isn't up to snuff.

He is, however, prone to turnovers and that's something the Bears must exploit if given the opportunity.