Kyler Murray Leaves Vikings Debut After Scary Hit To The Helmet, Bad Interception On First Pass Vs. Packers

Kyler Murray's start with the Minnesota Vikings did not go as planned on Sunday.

After throwing an interception on the very first pass of the game, Murray left the contest early after taking a scary hit directly to his helmet.

In the first quarter of their matchup with the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank stadium, Murray went to scramble for a first down. As Murray started sliding to the turf, his head was brought back awkwardly by Packers defensive end Lukas Van Ness right as Javon Bullard was flying in from the other side. Bullard drilled him with his shoulder, sending Murray's helmet flying right off his head.

Murray's hands clenched awkwardly as he remained down on the field for quite some time, clearly in significant pain. Bullard was called for a personal foul, and Murray ended up walking off the field to the locker room.

Murray was then replaced by Carson Wentz. The team quickly ruled him out for the rest of the game due to a concussion. Further specifics are not yet known.

That injury came shortly after what was a rough opening drive for Murray. He went looking for Jauan Jennings deep on his first pass of the game, but ended up just launching the ball high into double coverage. Keisean Nixon intercepted the pass easily, ruining Murray's first throw with the Vikings.

The Vikings signed Murray to a one-year deal earlier this year after he was released by the Arizona Cardinals. Murray was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, but he struggled throughout most of his time with the Cardinals before the organization decided to move on. 

Murray then beat out J.J. McCarthy for the starting job this fall. McCarthy missed his rookie season with an injury, and Sam Darnold replaced him and led them to a 14-3 run in his place. McCarthy went just 6-4 as a starter last season while struggling and battling injuries, and he was then moved to their third-string quarterback behind Wentz on Sunday. It's unclear if McCarthy, who the Vikings selected with the No. 10 overall pick in 2024 after he led Michigan to a national championship, will remain in that role. Head coach Kevin O'Connell described their backup situation as "week-to-week."

The Packers' first drive after the interception resulted in only a 59-yard field goal from Trey Smack. Jordan Love missed all three of his passes on that drive, too. Love found Christian Watson for an 81-yard touchdown on their next drive, however, which gave them a 9-0 lead at the time.

Between the scary head injury and the bad interception, Murray's tenure in Minneapolis kicked off in perhaps the worst possible way.