Kyler Murray's long-awaited fresh start lasted all of 11 plays.
The Oklahoma alum, who signed with the Minnesota Vikings this offseason after his complicated tenure in Arizona, took a brutal hit to the helmet in the first quarter of his Week 1 debut against the Green Bay Packers and never returned. The Vikings ruled him out for the remainder of the game before formally placing him in concussion protocol and ruling him out for Week 2 against the Bears — a storyline that dominated the NFL conversation all week.
The hit itself drew immediate scrutiny. Packers safety Javon Bullard and linebacker Lukas Van Ness were both involved in the play. Three-time Super Bowl champion Tedy Bruschi publicly questioned Bullard's intent, and Murray's own offensive tackle reportedly wished he had physically retaliated against Bullard in the moment. Despite the outcry, the NFL declined to fine either Packers player for the hit on Murray — though Van Ness was separately fined $17,911 for a hit on replacement quarterback Carson Wentz later in the game. The decision not to discipline anyone for the Murray play drew its own round of criticism.
With Murray sidelined, Wentz stepped in and helped Minnesota hold on for a 39-22 win over Green Bay. The Vikings then named Wentz the Week 2 starter, leaving Murray's status beyond that tied to his progress through the concussion protocol.
Murray's box score from his abbreviated debut was rough even before the exit: he completed passes for 18 yards, threw an interception on his very first pass — a throw into double coverage that was easily picked off — and added 9 rushing yards. The debut couldn't have gone much worse, and the circumstances surrounding his exit have only amplified the attention on his recovery.
Elsewhere Among Sooner Alumni
The Murray chaos overshadowed a solid week for a handful of other Oklahoma products.
Jalen Hurts was efficient in Philadelphia's narrow 24-22 win over Washington, finishing with 203 passing yards, three touchdown passes, and 46 rushing yards. The Eagles narrowly held off the Commanders, with fellow OU alum Tress Way punting for Washington and Hollywood Brown suiting up for Philadelphia — though Brown never got off the bench, telling reporters afterward, "I don't know if chances will come, I just have to work."
CeeDee Lamb and the Cowboys had a rough afternoon, dropping a 20-28 decision to the Giants. Lamb caught 5 passes for 44 yards and a touchdown, but it wasn't enough to bail out Dallas. Fellow Sooner Tyler Guyton started at tackle for the Cowboys.
Baker Mayfield made things interesting in Cincinnati, rushing for a touchdown and throwing for 216 yards, but the Buccaneers fell to the Bengals 27-33. Samaje Perine contributed for the winning side with 20 rushing yards and 30 receiving yards out of the backfield.
Mark Andrews, now in Baltimore, caught 4 passes for 49 yards as the Ravens rolled past the Colts 41-23.
And Creed Humphrey anchored the Chiefs' offensive line in a dominant 31-10 blowout of the Broncos on Monday night — a clean win for Kansas City and a tough opener for Broncos OU alums Nik Bonitto and Marvin Mims Jr.
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