Vikings’ Joshua Dobbs to start Week 10 after thrilling Minnesota debut; Justin Jefferson’s return still hazy

Joshua Dobbs did not have much time to learn the Minnesota Vikings playbook between arriving — he was traded to Minnesota from the Cardinals at last Tuesday’s deadline — and playing in their Week 9 game on Sunday, but he was still able to pull off a thrilling win over the Atlanta Falcons. Head coach Kevin O’Connell liked what he saw from Dobbs and announced Monday that he is awarding him first-team reps in practice this week.

The team’s expectation is that Dobbs will start in Week 10 against the New Orleans Saints, via NFL.com.

It was rookie Jaren Hall who got the start for Minnesota on Sunday. He left the game with a concussion, making Dobbs the offensive leader for the rest of the game. Dobbs went 20-for-30 with 158 yards and two touchdowns in the 31-28 victory in Atlanta. 

Quarterback Kirk Cousins suffered an Achilles injury the week prior and is out for the season. Nick Mullins, the Vikings’ veteran backup quarterback, remains on injured reserve. With Hall still in concussion protocol, Sean Mannion could be Dobbs’ backup, according O’Connell. Mannion is currently on the practice squad.

With all the quarterback injuries the team needed someone who could step in and this week Dobbs filled that role perfectly. 

Dobbs had been the Cardinals’ starting quarterback since the beginning of the season, with starter Kyler Murray on injured reserve, recovering from an ACL injury suffered late last season.

With just one win under his belt in 2023 in Arizona, Dobbs was benched in favor of rookie Clayton Tune, who made his first NFL start on Sunday, losing to the Cleveland Browns 27-0. 

Ahead of the deadline, Dobbs was traded to Minnesota, but he was not expected to be the starter. What was expected to be a small role as the emergency quarterback quickly turned into helping the team get their fifth win of the season.

As for the return of Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who’s been on injured reserve the last four weeks due to a hamstring injury, what happens next is still unclear. O’Connelll said they will continue to determine if they will open wide his window to return to practice this week. 

“We’re going to do what’s best for Justin, and make sure when he does return, he can be the Justin Jefferson we all know and expect to see,” O’Connell said.