Carson Wentz Will Start Monday Night Football vs. Bills as Kyler Murray Is Ruled Out With Hamstring Strain

The Minnesota Vikings are turning to Carson Wentz on the biggest stage of their season. Head coach Kevin O’Connell announced Thursday that the veteran quarterback will start Monday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills, with Kyler Murray ruled out by a hamstring strain and considered week-to-week. It sets up a primetime collision between two 6-1 teams, with Minnesota’s offense suddenly in the hands of a backup who has already helped win two games this year.

Wentz, 33, was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and will be making his 101st career start after stops in Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Washington, Los Angeles, Kansas City and Minnesota. He re-signed with the Vikings on a one-year deal this offseason to provide veteran insurance behind Murray, and Minnesota is about to cash in on that decision. Max Brosmer will serve as his backup on Monday.

Murray’s Hamstring Forces the Change

Murray was dealing with hamstring tightness late in Minnesota’s 19-15 loss to the Detroit Lions, the Vikings’ first defeat of the season. He finished that game 17-of-29 for 210 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, but was moving gingerly in the fourth quarter. After further evaluation and imaging earlier in the week, the team confirmed a hamstring strain.

“We don’t believe it to be more than a week-to-week kind of thing right now, but for him, his movement skills and the way he plays the game, we do feel like we’d be putting him at risk of possibly turning this into a more significant injury than it is by trying to have him work through it here early on,” O’Connell said. He added that injured reserve is not under consideration, and that there is “a ton of confidence” in Wentz, calling him “a steady presence and a guy we know.”

The timing is notable for an offense that has been the weak link in an otherwise dominant season. The Vikings rank 29th in total yards and 27th in scoring, while their defense leads the league by allowing just 13.3 points per game.

Wentz Has Already Delivered Twice This Season

This will be Wentz’s second start of 2026, and his work in relief is a big reason Minnesota is comfortable. In Week 1, he replaced Murray in the first quarter after a concussion and went 12-of-19 for 133 yards and three touchdowns, rallying the Vikings from a 12-point deficit to a 39-22 win over the Green Bay Packers.

A week later he started in Murray’s place at Soldier Field and went 11-of-20 for 143 yards in a rain-soaked 9-3 win over the Chicago Bears. It was a grind-it-out performance defined by what he did not do: he committed no turnovers and let the defense dictate the game. Through two appearances, Wentz is 23-of-39 for 276 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, good for a 106.4 passer rating. Last season he went 2-3 as a starter in place of the injured J.J. McCarthy, throwing for 1,216 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions before a shoulder injury ended his year.

Bills Open as Road Favorites in a Marquee Matchup

Buffalo arrives as the NFL’s highest-scoring team at 33.3 points per game, led by quarterback Josh Allen, and is a 3.5-point road favorite with a total around 46, according to major sportsbooks. The Bills are 5-2 against the spread this season, while Minnesota is 4-3. The line had been drifting toward the Vikings earlier in the week but moved back toward Buffalo once Murray’s hamstring strain became public. Bettors weighing a Monday Night Football wager can compare the latest sportsbook promotions before locking in a play.

The path for Minnesota is simple: keep it close and let the defense work. Wentz does not need to match Allen. He needs to avoid mistakes, protect the football and hit enough throws, particularly to Justin Jefferson, to keep the game within a possession. The Vikings’ scoring defense has the tools to make that plan work, and the under has hit in six of their seven games.

Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET Monday, November 9, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, with the game airing on ESPN and ABC. For Vikings fans looking at Minnesota sports betting rules before the big game, the legal landscape in the state is worth a look.