The Minnesota Vikings have found a potential replacement for the injured Kirk Cousins, who is out the remainder of the season with a torn Achilles.
The Arizona Cardinals are sending Josh Dobbs and a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Vikings in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick, the team announced prior to the NFL’s 4 p.m. ET trade deadline Tuesday.
The trade comes one day after the Cardinals announced Dobbs, who had been starting since Week 1 while Kyler Murray recovers from a torn ACL, would be benched after head coach Jonathan Gannon reviewed film from the team’s latest loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
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Dobbs will be joining Jaren Hall, a Vikings fifth-round pick from the 2023 draft, who replaced Cousins Sunday in the fourth quarter against the Green Bay Packers following Cousins’ injury. Hall completed three of four passes for 23 yards.
Dobbs was picked up by the Cardinals just one week before the start of the season, and he started instead of rookie Clayton Tune, who had been backing up veteran Colt McCoy before McCoy was cut.
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Tune may start Sunday against the Cleveland Browns unless Murray is healthy enough to go. Murray has been practicing with the Cardinals but wasn’t considered healthy enough for Sunday’s contest. Dobbs’ benching could be a sign Arizona is ready to see its No. 1 overall pick under center again.
Dobbs has another opportunity to take over an offense, and he joins a 4-4 Vikings team that has won three straight games to improve its playoff chances after starting slow.
It’s not certain Dobbs will get the start on the road against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday. He’ll need to learn Kevin O’Connell’s offense. But Dobbs quickly picked up the Cardinals’ playbook and managed to run the offense surprisingly well in the first few weeks of the season.
He did the same thing with the Tennessee Titans last year. Though he was 0-2 in his starts, he threw for two touchdowns with two interceptions and 411 yards with Tennessee.
The 28-year-old will have some reliable offensive weapons to work with if and when he gets under center for the Vikings. Jordan Addison has taken over as the team’s top receiver with All-Pro Justin Jefferson dealing with a hamstring injury.
Addison, tight end T.J. Hockenson and fellow receiver K.J. Osborn, have been lighting it up for the Vikings during their win streak. Whether they have chemistry immediately with Dobbs or Hall is the big question in Minnesota.
With their playoff hopes still alive, the Vikings will do what it takes to win while Cousins’ future with the team is in question as he rehabs his Achilles. Dobbs could be the answer, and the Vikings clearly think it’s worth a shot.