Getty Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs after a 31-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9 of the 2023 season.
Josh Dobbs was coming off his eighth start for the Arizona Cardinals this season when he was abruptly traded to the Minnesota Vikings last Tuesday.
Assimilating into the Vikings system, Dobbs had not thrown a single pass or taken a snap in practice. But again, another dramatic turn came last week when he took the field on Sunday to replace rookie starter Jaren Hall, who was placed in concussion protocol after a hit in the first quarter.
Dobbs fumbled the ball twice in the first half but overcame the early miscues to mount an improbably 31-28 comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Dobbs told Pro Football Talks’ Mike Florio after the win that he did not know his name coming up in trade talks until his agent told him he on Tuesday that he “could be traded and to pack a bag in Arizona just in case something went down.”
Dobbs landing in Minnesota lent itself to an unprecedented performance. No quarterback had started a game for a team one week and then led a game-winning fourth-quarter or overtime drive for a different team the following week since 1950.
Asked to describe his week in one word, Dobbs couldn’t capture the week with just a single one-word statement.
“It was crazy,” Dobbs said. “Unknown. That’s two words, but I think it deserves at least two words.”
Vikings QB Josh Dobbs Goes Viral for Video of Win Over Falcons
GettyQuarterback Josh Dobbs of the Minnesota Vikings.
Dobbs was praised for his ability to learn on the fly and win over a locker room quickly. He did just that with his heroic performance on Sunday.
But if fans needed any more convincing, Dobbs posted a TikTok recapping Sunday’s win with Creed’s “Higher” playing in the background.
Crawling out of an 0-3 start to the season, Kirk Cousins had the team playing Creed in the locker room before games — a tradition they’ve carried on despite losing Cousins for the season.
The video also features Dobbs’ face photoshopped onto a performer’s head from Creed’s performance during halftime at a Dallas Cowboys game in 2001.
Okay I am 1000000% sold on Josh Dobbs after his TikTok #SKOL
Vikings’ Plan at QB Moving Forward
GettyKevin O’Connell and Josh Dobbs
The Vikings quarterback room is severely depleted with Cousins (hamstring) and Nick Mullens (back) on the injured reserve list and Hall in concussion protocol.
Kevin O’Connell joked that if they were to lose any more quarterback he’d have to throw on pads himself and play, but O’Connell pulling a Jackie Moon isn’t out of the realm of possibility this week.
He said they don’t intend on bringing in another quarterback, and will instead elevate Sean Mannion from the practice squad to back up Dobbs, who will start this week against the New Orleans Saints.
That is likely the arrangement for Week 10 with a wide receiver or running back also being the third “green dot” player to have their helmet wired to communicate with the play caller.
Hall should return soon, while Mullens’ status is still in the air. The second quarterback to begin the season, Mullens is eligible to come off the injured reserve list this week, but his back injury appears to be more finicky considering the Vikings went out and traded for Dobbs — a move that likely wasn’t intended to be a one-week rental.