Aug 26, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Jaren Hall (16) runs the ball against the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings have 11 days until their next contest, relishing a bye week and then heading to Las Vegas for a showdown with the Raiders. Wide receiver Justin Jefferson will be back after a seven-game IR stint, and the club must finish the next five games with a 3-2 record to reach the postseason. A record worse than 3-2 will require players, coaches, and fans to watch opposing teams’ outcomes.
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs produced an abhorrent performance on Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears, with four turnovers directly causing a 12-10 loss to the Chicago Bears.
“I think the quarterback position needs to be evaluated to see what gives us the best chance to win. I don’t think there’s any particular timeline,” head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters on Tuesday.
Ergo, there’s a real chance Dobbs could be benched, and if so, this is the case for Jaren Hall.
The case for Nick Mullens can be read here.
Listen, folks — Joshua Dobbs stole Jaren Hall’s job.
Of course, Hall wasn’t an established starter or anything of the sort, but a month ago, at the Atlanta Falcons, Hall was handed the QB1 scepter.
He then led the Vikings downfield on a scoring drive and looked poised along the way. Hall should be sideways irked that Dobbs arrived and played like an astronaut for two weeks. The rookie had a golden opportunity to prove he was the proper man to keep the season afloat, but a concussion derailed the plan.
Now, Dobbs has returned to this atmosphere, so why not go back to the Week 9 backup plan, which allowed the young quarterback to cook?
Dobbs isn’t very accurate and has performed incredibly recklessly in the last two weeks, especially against the Bears on Monday Night Football. Mullens, on the other hand, is fairly accurate from the pocket but can’t move as a scrambler — like at all — and will have limitations when the pocket collapses.
Per Hall’s scouting report, preseason production, and teensy sample at the Falcons, Hall blends both worlds. He’s not as fast as Dobbs, but he is more accurate. He’s not as accurate as Mullens — that’s what the scouting report as a rookie suggests, anyway — but he’s significantly more mobile.
Smush together Dobbs and Mullens, and badda bing, you have Jaren Hall as a lovechild.
This may be breaking news for some, but the 2023 Vikings will not win the Super Bowl. The moment Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles, the dream ended. Some will cite the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles as an example of how it can be done, but that was an extreme outlier.
Therefore, if it’s an established fact that Minnesota won’t win the chip, why not toss Hall in for the season’s remainder and have a little fun? At the very least, by January, the Vikings’ coaching staff and front office would know if Hall had any sort of trajectory as the QB1 in 2024 and beyond.
Minnesota’s ceiling with Cousins in 2023 is probably an upset playoff win at the Detroit Lions or San Francisco 49ers. If that’s “it,” why not let Hall be the guy to run the gamut?
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.