Josh Dobbs named Minnesota Vikings backup QB vs Lions

Not only will Nick Mullens get another opportunity as the starter but Kevin O’Connell announced on Friday that Josh Dobbs will return to the active roster as Mullens’ backup. Jaren Hall, who started for the Vikings last week, will move from the QB1 down to the emergency-only QB3.

What a season.

Head Coach Kevin O’Connell announces that Joshua Dobbs will serve as the backup to Nick Mullens on Sunday.

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 5, 2024

I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. After Josh Dobbs lost the starting job weeks ago, he was immediately demoted to QB3, as well. I guess, after seeing Hall last week, the Vikings have decided they’ll be better off in a pinch, going with the veteran Dobbs.

Not only that, but they’ve probably decided it’s better for Jaren Hall’s development that he not see the field again until next football season (probably longer).

Read all of our Minnesota Vikings articles

Jaren Hall named Minnesota Vikings QB2; Josh Dobbs inactive

That means he will be inactive, only able to activate, should starter Nick Mullens and 5th round rookie backup Jaren Hall are forced out of the game.

Head Coach Kevin O’Connell announces that Jaren Hall will back up Nick Mullens Saturday and Joshua Dobbs will serve as the emergency 3rd QB.

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 14, 2023

I’m sure Kurt Warner is pulling out his hair on Twitter right now, after spending hours Wednesday making a video that was supposed to prove why Josh Dobbs should still be the Viking starter. But this isn’t KOC vindictively punishing the Passtronaut.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Playoff Odds – Week 15

Why is this happening?

Remember, Dobbs just joined the Vikings a couple of months ago. He was still working with a limited playbook, while he was starting. Now that the offense has officially gone back to Mullens, they must feel it isn’t in their best interest to set time aside planning for what a limited Josh Dobbs playbook would look like, should Mullens get hurt.

If Hall is serving as Mullens’ backup the offense can, in theory, stick with the same game plan and call sheet that they worked on with the starters all week, no matter the QB. If I had to pick a reason for why this move makes sense, that would be it.

That means Josh Dobbs, who was benched in the 4th quarter of last week’s 3-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, will find himself on the sidelines wearing a headset instead of on the field wearing a helmet.

Related: Should Vikings Attempt to Steal Joe Flacco from Browns?

And there’s one former quarterback who isn’t happy about that, NFL Hall of Famer, Kurt Warner. On top of his work as a high school football coach, NFL studio analyst and color commentator, Warner has his own YouTube channel, which he uses to break down film of NFL quarterbacks and teach QB skills to youngsters.

Kurt Warner Defends Josh Dobbs QB Honor

This week, his main study was Josh Dobbs. Kurt wanted to deep dive the film, because he thought Josh played better vs the Raiders than he’s getting credit for. That, contrary to popular belief, Josh is a pocket quarterback who can efficiently go through his progressions and deliver on-target footballs to receivers.

During his 18-minute breakdown, which included 15-20 passing plays from Sunday’s game, Warner grows continually frustrated with the route combinations O’Connell is deploying, along with drops and bad routes from Vikings wide receivers (if you don’t want to turn sound on, turn on closed captions in clips below).

For each play, Kurt points out where Dobbs’ reads start and he takes viewers through each progression, marking receivers who are open and receivers who aren’t. His conclusion: There’s really nothing Josh could have done better on Sunday afternoon.

That receivers weren’t open, in large part due to poor route planning by KOC, and when they were, he was under pressure. Essentially, it wouldn’t have mattered who was quarterbacking the Vikings last weekend. They all would have struggled like Josh Dobbs did.

Related: Kirk Cousins on the ManningCast was Peak Television Entertainment

Excuses, excuses, excuses…

I watched the entire video. Obviously, Kurt Warner is an HOF QB and knows a lot more than I do about the QB position. But watch some of these yourself. There are numerous instances where Kurt notes that receivers are open here or open there.

But each time he points out an open guy, Kurt has a reason for why Dobbs didn’t make the throw or complete the pass. His go-to excuse is how many progressions Josh has to go through to find open receivers.

This seems like a classic example of self-created bias. Kurt watched the game live and didn’t like the hate he was seeing on social media. His feelings got involved and now he’s watching Josh play with rosy sunglasses on. There’s always an excuse for why a play or game didn’t work out.

Conclusion: Playing QB in the NFL is hard (shocker)

Playing quarterback in the NFL is really really hard. Josh Dobbs is a professional NFL QB, making him one of the best 50 quarterbacks in the world. It doesn’t surprise me that he can get to his 3rd, 4th or 5th read.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Playoff Odds – Week 15

What makes the difference between Josh and a good QB at this level? If a good quarterback has to go to his 3rd, 4th or 5th reads to find an open receiver, they hit that 3rd, 4th or 5th option for a positive play. Dobbs got four starts for the Vikings and did not prove capable of doing that.

Can Nick Mullens be that guy? Who knows… but we might as well find out, since we know Josh Dobbs can’t. Here’s Kurt’s full video breakdown of Dobbs performance in Las Vegas.

The Vikings have benched QB Josh Dobbs

Nick Mullens is now in the game pic.twitter.com/IvfpsRKBRK

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 10, 2023

Josh Dobbs benched, Nick Mullens in as Minnesota Vikings starter

Surprise! Two drives later, Mullens led the Vikings’ offense down the field and gave Greg Joseph a chance at redemption, after he missed a mid-range opportunity earlier in the contest. Joseph drilled the 37-yard attempt and Minnesota will fly out of Vegas with the first 3-0 NFL victory since 2007.

Related: Raiders Brought in Three Former NFL Head Coaches to Prepare for Vikings

Dobbs forced KOC’s hand. Not only did he total only 63 yards through the air on 10 of 23 passing but his high throw over the middle to Justin Jefferson put Minnesota’s superstar in the hospital. The Vikings offense had absolutely no rhythm in a game where three points would have meant a 4th quarter lead.

Immediate difference in Vikings offense with Mullens under center

Mullens QB’d the Vikings for three 4th quarter drives and cumulated 10 less passing attempts on the night. Still, he finished the game with 20 more passing yards than Dobbs, going 9 of 13 for 83 yards.

Jordan Addison! HUGE 1st down for the @Vikings!

📺: #MINvsLV on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/pWMED8SAQa pic.twitter.com/odK98miqoq

— NFL (@NFL) December 10, 2023

Some of his throws were FAR from perfect, but the offense instantly looked more comfortable when he stepped onto the field. Like they knew what they were supposed to be doing again.

Tonight’s replacement performance was the 28-year-old Mullens‘ 23rd appearance in an NFL game, during his 5-year career. He’s made 17 starts and I’d expect that number to climb to 18 next weekend.

Kevin O’Connell names Josh Dobbs as Vikings QB1

But on Wednesday, just before noon at his weekly press conference, Kevin O’Connell made it official. The Vikings are sticking with Josh Dobbs as their QB1 on Sunday.

Kevin O'Connell officially names Josh Dobbs as #Vikings starting QB in week 14. pic.twitter.com/A4I4XhX5xK

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) December 6, 2023

Dobbs ups and downs as Vikings quarterback

Since joining the Vikings, Josh Dobbs has been a wildcard on the field. He blew onto the scene with a couple of stunning performances that captured the imagination of football fans, not just locally, but across the nation.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Playoff Odds – Week 14

His first two times wearing a purple and gold uniform, Dobbs launched himself into a stratosphere of national hype rarely touched by Minnesota sports figures, thanks to a miracle relief appearance in Atlanta and paired that with another mind-blowing showing the next week in a win vs the Saints.

Josh’s overall numbers, after those first two weeks in purple, were MVP-worthy if stretched over an entire season.

After those first two games, Joshua Dobbs was the hot topic of every major sports network on TV, radio and internet. Fans started wearing “Passtronaut” costumes to games, he was being showered with weekly awards and even took Taylor Swift’s spot as the NFL’s banner photo on Twitter for a little while.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Defense Rankings 2023 – Week 14

But the last two weeks, Josh’s Cinderella carriage of NFL fame has turned into a pumpkin of uncertainty. He went from a 3/0 TD/INT ratio in weeks 9 and 10 to a 2/5 ratio in weeks 11 and 12. His passing yards and attempts are comparable. Everything else, including his rushing production, fell off a cliff.

Obviously, Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings are hoping the bye week, along with another two weeks of getting to know his teammates and the offensive system, will make Josh Dobbs the best quarterback options the team has available.

Minnesota Vikings QB controversy

Many, myself included, thought KOC’s remarks meant we were going to see Nick Mullens make his 2023 debut in Las Vegas vs the Raiders on Sunday. More recently, however, momentum has shifted back in Josh Dobbs’ favor, starting with a report by Dianna Russini over the weekend.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Playoff Odds – Week 14

Still, when offensive coordinator Wes Phillips met with reporters on Tuesday, he refused to divulge their plans at quarterback this week. Obviously, the Vikings know who they are going to start but hoped to hold the news back as long as possible, for competitive advantage purposes.

TJ Hockenson leaks Vikings’ plan to stick with Josh Dobbs

There’s one problem with their QB1 secrecy, however. Nobody told TJ Hockenson about the secret. So, when he was asked about Josh Dobbs, during a Toys for Tots drive at the Eden Prairie Scheels on Tuesday afternoon, TJ proceeded to tell a scrum of media members how excited he is for what the Josh Dobbs-led Vikings offense has in store for the the rest of the season.

While at today's Toys For Tots event benefiting families in need, #Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson spoke like someone expecting to play with QB Josh Dobbs Sunday at Vegas. Head coach Kevin O'Connell is expected to name his starting QB tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/sOgmruitjW

— KSTPSports (@KSTPSports) December 6, 2023

“Umm yeah, it’s been incredible. Obviously, Josh can do some things in the pocket, be able to scramble with his legs. Special player, special human, special person. Just to be out there on the field with him and continue some of the stuff we’ve been able to do on Sundays, it’s gonna be a lot of fun this next week and continue it on for the next five [games] and play as long as they’ll let us.”

Related: How Long is Josh Dobbs Leash as Vikings Starting Quarterback?

Unless their tight end is working the biggest troll job in QB quagmire history, I think we have our answer on who will start for the Minnesota Vikings, not just this week, but for the rest of the season. Buckle up, the Josh Dobbs rollercoaster continues on Sunday in Vegas.

Update (12/6 – 12:30 p.m.): Kevin O’Connell has officially named Josh Dobbs as the Vikings starting quarterback for week 14 vs the Las Vegas Raiders — READ MORE

Related: Kevin O’Connell Won’t Commit to Josh Dobbs as Vikings QB1 Going Forward

While it’s still possible we see Josh Dobbs as the starter in Las Vegas vs the Raiders, it seems more likely we’ll see a different quarterback take that first snap from Garrett Bradbury on December 10. But will it be NFL veteran backup Nick Mullens or rookie 5th-rounder Jaren Hall?

Minnesota Vikings insiders believe Nick Mullens will be QB1

Multiple Vikings insiders believe it will be the former. That head coach Kevin O’Connell will opt for Nick Mullens because he can handle the biggest slice of the playbook and, in theory, should be the safest pick as QB1 now that the defense is playing so well. Here’s the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling on his most recent ‘Access Vikings’ podcast.

“Yeah, unless there’s things from Jaren Hall that we haven’t seen in practices, I just tend to think, if your biggest issue is, ‘we’re turning the ball over, we’re not executing our offense efficiently, the way that we want it to run…

The best way, I would think, to get some semblance of that back is to put in the guy that’s got the most experience in your offense, the guy that you added because you wanted another backup, that can play in the offense in a somewhat similar fashion to Kirk Cousins; a guy that Kirk cousins has praised as helping him learn the nuances of the offense…”

“I just tend to think if they are as irritated by the inefficiency and especially the turnovers as they seem to be [with Josh Dobbs], Nick Mullins probably ends up being the safe reliable family car in the garage that won’t wow anybody. You’re not taking that thing out on the autobahn. But it’s getting decent gas mileage, it’s got low insurance costs because of all the safety features.”

Ben Goessling (Star Tribune) on ‘Vikings Access’ Podcast

Who can best get the ball to Justin Jefferson?

Not only do the Vikings seem to think that Mullens knows the offense best and is more likely to be safe with the ball, but it’s also believed that their decision is, at least in part, based on which QB can best get the ball to Justin Jefferson.

Related: Jared Allen Thinks Vikings Should Move on from Kirk Cousins

And the feeling coming from inside the organization on who’s the best bet for JJ, is yet again coming up Mullens. Darren Wolfson (SKOR North, KSTP) opined on this exact topic during Thursday’s episode of MN Sports with Mackey & Judd on SKOR North.

He doesn’t believe Jaren Hall is in the running to start vs the Raiders, that it’s between Dobbs and Mullens. But let’s be real. If there was a good chance that Dobbs was going to be the starter in Las Vegas, I find it hard to believe Kevin O’Connell would ring the alarm on a possible QB change, like he did after the loss vs Chicago and then again on Tuesday.

“The question that [the Vikings] are asking themselves, more than any other one, is among Jaren Hall, Nick Mullens, Josh Dobbs, which of the three gives Justin Jefferson, who will be back December 10th against the Raiders, which of those three gives Justin the best chance to succeed?

The Wilfs still very much have their eyes on the playoffs”… “I will be surprised, I don’t have the definitive answer right now, but I will be surprised if the answer December 10th is Jaren Hall. So then, it’s Dobbs or Mullens. Let’s not forget that Mullens would have been ‘the guy’ November 5th in Atlanta, if he doesn’t suffer that back injury in practice in October.

Yes they make a move for someone, maybe it still would have been Dobbs, maybe somebody else. But Mullins was the number two for a reason. I just wonder if, of those three quarterbacks, Nick is the guy that allows Justin to have the most success. But I think it’s down to those two, that’s just my sense. Dobbs V Mullins, that it won’t be Jaren Hall.”

Darren Wolfson – Mackey & Judd (SKOR North)

I’ve racked my brain over this subject for a few days and, much like the plugged in local insiders, every logical conclusion comes back to Nick Mullens starting for the Vikings next weekend vs the Raiders, mostly for the reasons laid out by Wolfson and Goessling above.

We’ll find out for sure, soon enough.

In the last couple weeks, the magic Dobbs brought with him from Arizona has faded and, though we still see flashes in spurts, he’s shown why he’s a journeyman backup QB. Now, head coach Kevin O’Connell plans to review his options at quarterback during the bye week, meaning the race for Vikings QB1 is wide open.

Related: NFL World Reacts to Joshua Dobbs 4 Interception Reality Check vs Bears

Who Should be Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback?

So, what’s next? Should the Vikings turn to one of the other backup quarterbacks they have on roster, either 28-year-old Nick Mullens or 5th-round rookie, Jaren Hall? Would KOC be better off rolling with the Passtronaut that got him here? Let’s look at the pros and cons for all three options.

Stick with what got you here: Josh Dobbs

Pros: Dobbs has the ability to escape a crumbling pocket and make plays with his feet better than any other QB on roster. His playmaking abilities are why the Vikings are still in the running for a playoff spot after all. And let’s not forget Josh gave life to this team when we thought they were dead, following the Kirk Cousins injury.

However much Josh Dobbs is making this season, it's not enough.pic.twitter.com/8S2jJHLpBr

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 5, 2023

Dobbs hasn’t played as well of late, but ups and downs happen during the course of a season, especially when you only joined the team a month ago. He also has the most recent experience of the bunch. Dobbs has played in all 12 NFL games this year and started 11.

Related: Justin Jefferson Activated from IR; Will Return to Vikings Lineup Week 14

Cons: Dobbs came in and completely took over this offense, however over the past 2 games, we’ve also seen plenty of overthrows/unenforced errors that have essentially cost the Vikings in both games. The spark hasn’t been the same.   

Take the highest floor, lowest ceiling option: Nick Mullens

Pros: Mullens is a guy who does have some NFL experience, starting 17 games, 16 with the San Francisco 49ers, and 1 with the Cleveland Browns in his 6 year NFL career. Of all quarterbacks currently available to the Vikings, Nick Mullens gives O’ Connell the biggest call sheet on game days as he is the most familiar with the offense.

This TD is Muse-ic to @Vikings fans ears 🎶 @NickMuse5

📺: #MINvsSEA on @NFLNetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/bBFpXewtKp pic.twitter.com/wea4HMurCd

— NFL (@NFL) August 11, 2023

Cons: Nick Mullens currently has a starting record of 5-12 in the NFL, and his stats aren’t promising either, he’s thrown 27 TDs 23 INTs along with a completion percentage of 65.3. Hard to get excited about Mullens, (if he starts) but who knows!

Allure of the unknown: Jaren Hall

Pros: Give the team back to rookie quarterback Jaren Hall? Jaren Hall is officially back after suffering a concussion in his first ever NFL start against the Falcons in week 9.

Hall, who looked very promising in his only two real drives of the season. He finished those two drives in Atlanta with 5 completions for 78 while marching the team down the field before exiting the game. Hall looked very calm and composed, and I think is the most realistic option for QB after the bye.

Deuce gets loose!!@AlexMattison22

📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/lbgpeAsqV3

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 5, 2023

Cons: Jaren Hall is only a rookie and lacks the most experience of the 3. And let’s be real, he was never drafted to be the starter, let alone in year one. In all likelihood, Hall isn’t the answer long-term.

Related: Josh Dobbs is fine but he isn’t Kirk Cousins

Most of the optimism surrounding Hall is based off of one good looking drive against the Atlanta Falcons, before he was concussed at the goal line. He hasn’t seen the field since.

Kevin O’Connell has options

No matter who he decides to go with, Kevin O’Connell has relatively good options, given the circumstances. Most teams that are playing backup quarterbacks are completely out out of the playoff race. No the Vikings.

Kevin O’Connell won’t commit to Josh Dobbs as Vikings starting quarterback

His head coach, Kevin O’Connell, didn’t exactly give the ‘Passtronaut’ a vote of confidence in his press conference after the game, either. Normally a spin doctor, KOC wasn’t interested in narratives after this one.

Related: Josh Dobbs is fine but he isn’t Kirk Cousins

When asked by reporters if Dobbs would be the Vikings starting quarterback going into the bye week, KOC made it clear he and his staff will be looking into all options, given they have nearly two weeks and three healthy backup QBs to choose from.

Thoughts leading into the bye week. pic.twitter.com/pOLZKFKYF6

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 28, 2023

“We’re going to take a look and really evaluate the inventory of plays we have of Josh [Dobbs]. We got healthy. We got Jaren [Hall] back available to us and then Nick Mullens is available as well.”

“We’re going to evaluate what we’ve been able to do, things we need to get better at and we’ll take a look at what that looks like. Hopefully we’ll get Justin [Jefferson] back. He was close tonight. Getting him back, anytime you can infuse that into your offense, it makes everyone around him better. We’ll take a look at everything, we have a lot of work to do during the bye.”

Kevin O’Connell after Bears loss (video above)

After seeing KOC speak after the game, I’d be rather shocked if Dobbs is the Minnesota Vikings starting QB vs the Las Vegas Raiders in week 14. He was so frustrated with Josh’s play that he seriously thought about benching him in favor of Nick Mullens.

Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell admitted it "started to get to the point" where he was thinking about Nick Mullens in terms of trying to give the team a spark. As for whether Josh Dobbs will be the QB after the bye, KOC said the team was going to evaluate Dobbs' four-game inventory.

— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) November 28, 2023

I’m glad Kevin O’Connell sees what the rest of us do. Joshua Dobbs is not a starting quarterback in this league. Thus, now that Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall are both healthy and ready to go, there’s no reason why the Vikings should be committed to Dobbs going forward, given how poorly he has played over the last two weeks.

Read all of our Minnesota Vikings blogs

But at the end of the day, the Vikings made too many costly mistakes, like fumbling the ball twice and a critical 2nd half interception. Don’t get me wrong, they were far from perfect during their hot streak. But when you win, those errors are easily forgiven. Lose, however, and suddenly every screw up is under a microscope.

Josh Dobbs exposed in Broncos loss

Quarterback Josh Dobbs was quickly becoming a fan favorite within SKOL nation, after helping the Vikings secure 2 consecutive wins. But guess what? The Vikings lost on Sunday so his popularity is quickly falling back to reality, after some of his weakness were exposed by a very good Broncos defense.

#Broncos interception off #Vikings Josh Dobbs! pic.twitter.com/nloCKqOflh

— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhiferNFL) November 20, 2023

To be fair to Josh Dobbs, the Broncos defense has been one of the best in the NFL, of late. But that’s not the way the season started. Denver posted their worst four PFF defense grades of 2023 in the first four games of the season (59.0, 60.4, 28.1, 55.0).

Related: Josh Dobbs is fine but he isn’t Kirk Cousins

That 28.1 rating? A 20-70 (not a typo) loss to the Miami Dolphins back in week 3. Since week four, they haven’t dipped below a 60 PFF grade. Prior to their win over the Vikings Denver took down their AFC West rival, the Kansas City Chiefs. Before them, the Buffalo Bills. Those are two of the more high powered offenses in the NFL.

Denver’s recent defensive surge is worth acknowledging, for obvious reasons. Riding the struggle bus vs a unit that also made Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen into passengers isn’t necessarily an indictment against him.

Josh Dobbs before the Broncos loss

Overall, Dobbs has been pretty good, since joining the Vikings, especially if wins are the only statistic that matters. That’s why he led the entire NFL in QBR — where wins and winning plays weigh heavily into the measurement — during weeks nine and ten.

That’s really impressive, considering the circumstances. During that stretch, Dobbs posted 526 yards and 3 touchdowns, through the air, to go along with 110 yards 2 touchdowns on the ground, all of which contributed immensely to two Minnesota Vikings victories.

For the last two weeks Josh Dobbs has led the NFL in QBR 😤 pic.twitter.com/zoR2SJ41ro

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) November 19, 2023

Dobbs performance against Broncos

Against the Broncos, things didn’t come as easy for Josh Dobbs. He threw his first interception as a Viking and fumbled three times (lost one). Fumbles have been an issue for Dobbs all season. He coughed the ball up eight times in eight games, while with the Arizona Cardinals.

In Denver, however, his issues went far beyond a fumbling problem. He posted just his worst completion percentage since dawning the horned helmet (62%) and an 80.3 QB rating, after putting up 101.1 and 101.8 vs the Saints and Falcons, respectively.

Vikings other options at Quarterback

Kirk Cousins is sidelined for the season but the Vikings are not without other options at quarterback. Rookie Jaren Hall is expected to be available for the first time, since suffering a concussion on his second drive as Minnesota’s QB1, in week 10 vs the Falcons.

Related: Vikings Suddenly Stacked with Backup Quarterbacks

It will be interesting to see how that situation is handled because because Hall looked pretty good in his one very limited opportunity. I was impressed with the poise, footwork, and movements I saw from Hall a few weeks ago.

I prefer to evaluate young quarterbacks on how well they adjust to the game, as opposed to their statistical outputs. Some QBs just have ‘it’ and others don’t. Usually, you know pretty early on whether or not quarterbacks stand a chance in this league.

We need to see it for a more sustained period of time, but Hall was patient and seemed to have command of the offense, while under center. He completing 5 of 6 passes for 78 yards in Atlanta, before his day was cut short and the Dobbs legend went wild. Additionally, Jaren showed he’s athletic enough to extend plays with his feet.

Rookie QB Jaren Hall takes off for a 10-yard run on 3rd down. pic.twitter.com/lBQLKrh6v1

— MSN (@mnspnews) August 20, 2023

If Jaren Hall is healthy, Dobbs leash as Minnesota Vikings starter should be short

I completely understand if the Vikings stick with Josh Dobbs. Nonetheless, I want to see Hall get another shot. Had he not suffered a concussion, he’s probably still this team’s starting quarterback.

The Minnesota Vikings drafted Hall for a reason and I want to see his potential explored a little bit, before this team jumps into an offseason with a lot of quarterback questions. After all, this is the first quarterback hand picked by Kevin O’Connell, who appears to be a QB whisperer, of sorts.

Based on what I have seen so far, in a very small sample size, I’m comfortable ruling out the possibility that Jaren Hall is the long-term answer at Vikings quarterback. I want to see his potential explored. And the best part, he’s already under contract.

The command of the offense to change the play and the ball placement are nice, but what I really love is Jaren Hall here seeing the late safety rotation and knowing to check Mattison on the alert. Precocious stuff from the rookie: pic.twitter.com/msMddZU1ZH

— Nick Olson (@NickOlsonNFL) November 6, 2023

The other options for the Vikings are two veteran backup quarterbacks, Nick Mullens and Sean Mannion. Mullens is a better option than Mannion, who isn’t really an option at all. The only logical argument I can see for starting Mullens over Hall, if replacing Dobbs, would be experience with KOC’s offense. But Mullens isn’t a long-term option.

I think the leash for Josh Dobbs should be shortened, if Jaren Hall is healthy and ready to suit up. Just like Dobbs, Hall could be Minnesota’s quarterback of the future. Dobbs has been solid and we know he gives this team a chance to win. But we’re getting a pretty good idea of the “Passtronaut’s” ceiling. Any further struggles and I think it’s time we find out Jaren Hall’s.

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