The Minnesota Vikings began a new era with QB Kyler Murray under center to start off the 2026 season. However, Murray’s Vikings debut was short-lived, as he was forced to leave the team’s Week 1 contest against the Green Bay Packers.
Murray suffered a concussion when he was tackled on a running play in the first quarter of Sunday’s game. Will Murray return to Minnesota's lineup for Week 2's battle with the Bears?
Below, we’ll dive into the latest Kyler Murray injury update and assess its potential impact on fantasy football and Vikings projections for PrizePicks.
Make your Vikings vs. Bears picks on PrizePicks!
{{nfl_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Kyler Murray Injury Update: Will Vikings QB Play in Week 2?
On Thursday, ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported that Murray “continues to progress” through concussion protocol and did more in practice on Thursday than he did on Wednesday.
However, the positive updates were put to an end on Friday afternoon, with Murray declared out for Sunday's game vs. the Bears.
Last week, Wentz replaced Murray in the first quarter and led the Vikings to a 39-22 win over the Packers.
Murray completed 3 of 5 passes for 18 yards and carried the ball twice for 9 yards before being knocked out of the game. The veteran signal-caller signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with the Vikings this past offseason after being released by the Arizona Cardinals.
With Murray officially out on Sunday, Wentz is expected to start vs. the Bears.
Vikings Fantasy Football Outlook with Murray Out: Target Carson Wentz?
Despite losing Murray early in Week 1, the Vikings’ offense still produced a solid performance with Wentz at the helm. While Minnesota had just 239 yards of total offense, the Vikings still found the end zone five times, including a pair of TDs from star WR Justin Jefferson.
According to FantasyPros, Murray was taken 134th overall on average in full-point PPR fantasy leagues. Many fantasy managers likely took Murray as a backup QB or a streaming option in the final rounds.
If Murray sits out Week 2, Wentz is an intriguing option due to the upside of Minnesota’s offense. Wentz completed 12 of 19 passes for 132 yards and 3 TDs, while being sacked 3 times in relief of Murray in Week 1.
Wentz could take advantage of a lackluster Bears defense that allowed 478 yards of total offense in Week 1. According to RBSDM, the Bears surrendered a 0.242 dropback EPA vs. the Carolina Panthers, which ranked 22nd. In fact, Panthers QB Bryce Young picked apart Chicago’s secondary to the tune of 361 yards and 3 TDs.
In 2025, Chicago gave up the most passing yards per game (353.0) and yielded 37.0 points per game.
According to PlayerProfiler, Wentz registered 0.80 fantasy points per dropback, which was the sixth-highest rate among NFL QBs in Week 1. Although Wentz hasn't been a lethal passing threat in recent years, the Bears’ defense may give the veteran QB plenty of opportunities to succeed — especially given Wentz’s rapport with Jefferson.
The Vikings are 4.5-point underdogs against the Bears on Sunday, via PrizePicks, returning a 2.63x payout if they win outright. Wentz is also projected 216.5 pass yards vs. Chicago in Week 2.
Lock in your Vikings vs. Bears prediction on PrizePicks!
{{nfl_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Make Vikings vs. Bears Picks on PrizePicks
The Vikings got off to a strong start with a Week 1 win against the Packers, despite losing Murray early in the contest. Minnesota looks to knock off another NFC North rival without Murray on the field.
Don’t wait until kickoff — make your Vikings vs. Bears picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.
Pick NFL players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re right. With Team Picks, you can make predictions on NFL game winners, spreads, over/unders, and award futures, now available in 36 states.
Stay locked in on Playbook for daily NFL predictions, picks, and news all the way through Super Bowl LXI.
Team Picks and Culture Picks are event contracts offered by Performance Predictions II, LLC d/b/a PrizePicks Predict, a CFTC-registered FCM and NFA Member. All event contract customers must be U.S. residents and 18+. Some event contracts may not be available in every state.Event contract trading carries significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. No guarantee against loss is offered. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results.Void where prohibited by law. Restrictions apply. For full terms of service see prizepicks.com/predict-regulatory. Team and Culture Pick Early Payouts subject to market liquidity. The content provided is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, or a recommendation to trade any commodity interest.
