So much for the quarterback controversy, the Minnesota Vikings just announced that starting quarterback Kyler Murray has cleared concussion protocol and will return in Week 3 when the Vikings travel to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next Sunday. Murray has been out since early in the team’s Week 1 game against the Green Bay Packers. In the 11th play of the game, he was hit on the side of his head by the shoulder of Packers safety Javon Bullard and left the game with a concussion.

Murray was missed in Chicago

After Murray’s injury, Carson Wentz stepped in and led the Vikings to a 39-22 victory over Green Bay. For the game, Wentz was 12-of-19, for 133 yards and three touchdown passes. He was sacked twice and did not throw an interception. Foolishly, some members of the media and a small segment of Minnesota’s fanbase attempted to create a quarterback controversy between Murray and Wentz.

And although he was at the helm of their 9-3 road victory over the Chicago Bears, Wentz demonstrated why he is a highly valued backup signal caller, but Murray is clearly the number one quarterback on the roster. In sloppy conditions, Carson was 11-of-20 for 143 yards with no TD passes or picks. Also, star receiver Justin Jefferson was limited to 3 catches for 55 yards.

The Road Ahead

Murray returns just in time to play the Bucs, who are still smarting from a 0-2 start. And Tampa Bay suffered the ultimate indignation losing at home to the lowly Cleveland Browns 23-19. In that game, the much-maligned Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson outplayed the Buccaneers’ newly contract-minted Baker Mayfield, causing even more anguish for the team and its fans.

Murray is motivated to return to action to show Vikings fans and the football world that Minnesota made a wise franchise move in signing Murray to a club-friendly contract after seven productive but injury-plagued seasons playing for the Arizona Cardinals. The team hopes that the combination of the talented but mercurial Murray with the quarterback whisperer, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, will revive an offense that sputtered last season due partially to the inconsistencies of last year’s starter, J.J. McCarthy.

Game Info

The Vikings and Buccaneers face off next Sunday at 3:05 pm CDT at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Channel and broadcast on the radio, as always, by KFAN 100.3 FM.