Getty Head coach Kevin O'Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings continue to face meaningful questions under center despite the acquisition of new starter Josh Dobbs.
Kevin Seifert of ESPN reported on Friday, November 10, that head coach Kevin O’Connell refused to offer any information on who will serve as the team’s emergency quarterback on Sunday when Minnesota hosts the New Orleans Saints.
Despite a grilling from both me and @markcraignfl, Kevin O’Connell refused to divulge the identity of the Vikings’ emergency quarterback this week. (It had been Cam Akers before his Achilles injury.)
“Despite a grilling from both me and @markcraignfl, Kevin O’Connell refused to divulge the identity of the Vikings’ emergency quarterback this week,” Seifert wrote. “It had been [running back] Cam Akers before his Achilles injury.”
Vikings Must Choose from Among Bad Options at Emergency QB
GettyQuarterback Josh Dobbs of the Minnesota Vikings calls a play during an NFL game against the Atlanta Falcons in November 2023.
Without Dobbs on the roster, Minnesota’s situation under center would be beyond dire.
Rookie Jaren Hall got the starting nod against the Atlanta Falcons last weekend after an Achilles tear sidelined Kirk Cousins for the season in the game prior. Hall looked good before he suffered a concussion near the goal line, which forced him out. Hall remains in concussion protocol and has been ruled out for Sunday’s matchup with the Saints, per the team’s official injury report.
Nick Mullens spent the last four weeks on IR with a back injury and while he is eligible to return, he doesn’t appear ready to go in practice, let alone a game. The Vikings will elevate Sean Mannion from the practice squad to serve as Dobbs’ backup and signed Tanner Morgan, formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers, as the organization’s third QB for the time being.
Morgan might make sense as the emergency quarterback if he’d had enough time to learn the offense. However, the Vikings only just acquired him on Thursday. Dobbs was able to be effective on the fly with little knowledge of the playbook, but he’s got more talent and 10 NFL starts under his belt, while Morgan has none.
Still, Morgan may end up the best of several bad options. The team has offered no hints as to who on its roster might be capable of filling in at quarterback, and it is possible O’Connell remained mum on the topic Friday because he doesn’t yet have an answer.
Josh Dobbs Is Exceptional Runner, but Must Proceed with Caution
GettyQuarterback Josh Dobbs of the Minnesota Vikings.
The hope is that Minnesota can sidestep the avalanche of injuries that has buried their quarterbacks for just one weekend, which should allow Hall time to get back and take some of the pressure off.
Dobbs hasn’t been an injury-prone type of player during his NFL career but, in fairness, he really hadn’t played any meaningful minutes until the end of last season. In Dobbs’ two starts with the Tennessee Titans in 2022 and his eight starts with the Arizona Cardinals this season, he has shown toughness as well as a willingness and a talent for running the football. That, however, could be a problem when it comes to remaining healthy.
Dobbs, 28, has appeared in 17 games across the course of his NFL career. Over that span, he has rushed the ball 68 times for 399 yards (an average of 5.9 yards per carry) and 4 touchdowns, per Pro Football Reference. O’Connell must manage the game for Dobbs in a way that will both utilize his talents and minimize his risk of injury.
Sunday’s game is an important one for the Vikings, who have won four in a row and now sit at 5-4 and currently occupy the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoff picture.