Joshua Dobbs makes Vikings debut after rookie QB Jaren Hall exits with injury
Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback Jaren Hall took a big hit near the goal line in the first quarter of his first start for the team. He was slow to get up and ended up going into the locker room with a concussion. This forced Joshua Dobbs into the game for Minnesota.
Dobbs, who started the season with the Arizona Cardinals, was traded to Minnesota in the wake of the injury to Kirk Cousins.
Hall, who will not return with the concussion, was making his first start after a successful college career at BYU. Dobbs, who played his college football at Tennessee, brings significantly more experience to the Vikings offense as a journeyman backup in the NFL.
Dobbs’ first drive came to start the second quarter and ended in a safety. Then, on his second drive of the game, he fumbled and lost possession to the defense.
Minnesota is the ninth stop and the seventh different team of Dobbs’ NFL career, which began when he was taken in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. In eight starts this season for the Arizona Cardinals, Dobbs has completed 62.8 percent of his passes for 1,569 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s rushed for three additional touchdowns this season.
The Vikings needed help at quarterback with starting quarterback Kirk Cousins tearing his Achilles. That’s why they traded for Joshua Dobbs. However, with less than a week with the team, Minnesota would have preferred to not need to have him come into the game. As of now, he’s still learning the playbook, language, and developing chemistry with the team around him.
Running back Cam Akers is the emergency quarterback for Minnesota in the game against Atlanta.
Josh Heupel is excited for Joshua Dobbs
Josh Heupel wasn’t Joshua Dobbs’ coach at Tennessee. However, Dobbs is still connected with the program and has gotten close to Heupel. On top of that, Heupel grew up a Vikings fan in South Dakota. So, it’s an exciting time for the headman in Knoxville.
“Excited for Josh. He’s one of the former guys that I’ve gotten to spend a lot of time with. A lot of guys in the league end up going from organization to organization. He’s continued to fight and compete and when he’s gotten opportunities he’s done a remarkable job,” Heupel said.
“And the opportunity for him to go to Minneapolis and to have the opportunity to play football, really excited for him, and obviously I grew up a Vikings fan with my uncle living there. My uncle, actually, sent me a text yesterday or the day before when he got the news. He was pretty fired up.”