The Minnesota Vikings are working to get Kirk Cousins ready to start against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, but their quarterback decisions extend beyond the newcomer. Kyler Murray is still recovering from a hamstring injury, and Carson Wentz now has an ankle issue, leaving the depth chart uncertain.
Why it matters
Head coach Kevin OConnell stopped short of naming Cousins the starter on Wednesday. Cousins is back in Minnesota just days after the Vikings acquired him from Las Vegas at the trade deadline, and the team is preparing him for a potential return to the field against the team he knows best.
The Wednesday injury report needs an important distinction. Minnesota did not practice, so the listed participation levels were estimates, not evidence that either injured quarterback completed an on field session. Murray was listed as did not participate with his hamstring injury, while Wentz was limited with his ankle issue.
What happens next
The Vikings are scheduled to practice on Thursday and Friday, with game designations due on Friday. OConnell hope for Wentz describes a possible arrangement for this week, not a settled depth chart after Murray recovers. The decision on who starts against Green Bay will come late in the week.
For now, Cousins is the plan and the injuries are the problem. If he starts, it will be a homecoming against the Packers with a week of preparation. If he does not, the Vikings will turn to a depth chart that is already stretched thin.
The Vikings are scheduled to practice on Thursday and Friday, with game designations due on Friday. OConnell hope for Wentz describes a possible arrangement for this week, not a settled depth chart after Murray recovers, and the decision on who starts against Green Bay will come late in the week. Murray remains sidelined by a hamstring injury, although OConnell indicated that the quarterback has begun progressing through running activities. Cousins arrives knowing the building, the fans and the expectations, and the team has the pieces around him to win now. The decision will come late in the week, after the Friday practice reports are filed.
