Getty Quarterback Josh Dobbs of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings appear to have found their starting QB in Josh Dobbs but the way Sunday’s game played out against the Atlanta Falcons made obvious the need for one more reliable signal-caller in the position group.
A concussion suffered by rookie Jaren Hall was the circumstance that thrust Dobbs into the No. 1 role and allowed for his second-half heroics. However, had Dobbs gone down, the Vikings would have been forced to turn to running back Cam Akers, who the team designated as its emergency QB heading into Week 9. Akers tore his Achilles tendon in the game, which would have left Minnesota with zero viable options had Dobbs’ suffered any sort of injury.
Hall is in concussion protocol and could be back by next weekend’s game against the New Orleans Saints. His symptoms could also linger and sideline the rookie for weeks to come. Reserve QB Sean Mannion is on the practice squad, but he isn’t exactly the safety net a team with legitimate playoff aspirations hopes for behind a starter who has only been with the team for one week.
As such, Bleacher Report’s NFL Staff on Monday, November 6, pitched the addition of veteran QB Colt McCoy, who can offer the Vikings a little more margin for error and margin for injury down the stretch of the season.
Colt McCoy Has NFL History with Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell
GettyQuarterback Colt McCoy, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals.
The logic behind signing McCoy to back up Dobbs and potentially serve as the emergency/third-string QB when Hall returns is the same as the reasoning behind the arguments for Minnesota to sign McCoy before the team executed the trade for Dobbs last Tuesday.
“Dobbs earned the right to be the starter next week, but Hall might be out for at least a week so the Vikings need a backup. McCoy played for Kevin O’Connell in Washington from 2017 to 2019, so he should have some familiarity with the playbook,” Bleacher Report NFL staff wrote. “Granted, Nick Mullens is eligible to return from injured reserve this week and Sean Mannion is on the practice squad, but adding McCoy would give the team another option to turn to. Also, the latter might be the most talented of the bunch.”
Mullens is struggling with a back injury and just because his initial stint on IR is up doesn’t mean he’s ready to return to practice, let alone ready to lead the team in case of an injury to Dobbs.
Vikings Can Afford to Add Another Quarterback to Roster
GettyVeteran quarterback Colt McCoy.
Investing in a fifth quarterback probably isn’t a prospect that excites the Vikings during a season in which the organization is trying to sort out its financials for the long-term. However, the overall level of investment at the position isn’t actually all that high.
Dobbs is playing on a one-year, $2 million contract, while Hall is in the first season of his four-year, $4.1 million rookie deal. Mullens is in the first year of a two-year, $4 million contract and Mannion is playing on a one-year practice squad deal worth $370,o00. All told, the combined salary cap hit of Mannion, Mullens and Hall is just north $2.8 million in 2024. Dobbs’ cap number is listed at $833,330, though the Vikings won’t suffer that full hit as they traded for the QB midseason.
McCoy, now 37 years old, most recently played on a two-year, $7.5 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals. However, he wouldn’t command nearly that much as a reserve for Minnesota halfway through the year.
The Vikings don’t necessarily have to sign McCoy, or some other veteran, to back up Dobbs moving forward, but such a move is financially feasible and offers the team a safety net it may need in the immediate future.