Nov 12, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs (15) after the game against the New Orleans Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.
It came out of nowhere and disappeared as quickly as it arrived. Dobbs-mania was one of the most exciting chapters of recent Minnesota Vikings history. He took the league and the hearts of the fan base by storm, guiding his team to a pair of wins by showcasing outstanding athleticism and playmaking skills that reminded folks of old-school backyard football rather than NFL play.
It surely was fun to watch, but unfortunately, the magic vanished after those two contests and a handful of plays versus Denver the following week.
When the Vikings saw quarterback Kirk Cousins go down with an Achilles tear, the season initially appeared over. Are the surroundings good enough to keep stacking wins with Nick Mullens or Jaren Hall? Unlikely.
Cousins got hurt a few days before the trade deadline arrived, so general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pulled the trigger and acquired Arizona’s signal-caller. They made him available because their starter, Kyler Murray, was close to returning.
The deal was cheap, a low-risk move. Adofo-Mensah sent a 2024 sixth-round selection in exchange for Dobbs and a conditional 2024 seventh-rounder. The condition: If he plays more than 55% of the snaps, the pick will revert to Arizona.
Early in his Vikings days, it looked like he would easily crack that number once Hall exited the game in Atlanta, and the unprepared player managed to pull off an incredible comeback win, launching the whole Passtronaut story.
Even his doubters started to believe when the Dobbs-led Vikings shredded the New Orleans Saints a week later in his home debut. “Why is he a backup? The guy is amazing,” most spectators began to wonder. Although he failed to win the game versus Sean Payton’s Broncos, he still produced some magical plays, and there wasn’t any reason to replace him.
It was the final hurrah of his Vikings tenure as he continued his journey with a disastrous four interceptions contest against the Bears, and he was eventually benched after three scoreless quarters In Las Vegas. Mullens and Hall took over, while Dobbs didn’t play another snap with the purple team. Head coach Kevin O’Connell even demoted him to QB3 and emergency duties.
Of 643 possible offensive snaps in nine games with him on the roster, the quarterback played 319, resulting in a 49.6% snap percentage, not enough to trigger the condition to send the pick back to the Cardinals.
That boosts Adofo-Mensah’s number of draft picks to nine.
A seventh-rounder is primarily an additional lottery ticket as well as something that could sweeten a trade offer. While players selected in the seventh round rarely work out, they still do sometimes. Rick Spielman’s round seven acquisitions who helped the team include Kris Boyd in 2019, Ifeadi Odenigbo in 2017, Stephen Weatherly and Jayron Kearse in 2016, and Shamar Stephen in 2014.
Players selected in the final round also starred in the recent Super Bowl with 49ers passer Brock Purdy and Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco.
Dobbs will likely leave in free agency, but the two victories with him under center were fun to watch. Despite his dropoff, the trade was a success for the Vikings as they paid only minimal draft capital.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt