The Minnesota Vikings have signed no other backup quarterbacks this offseason behind J.J. McCarthy, aside from Brett Rypien, who could be in line for QB2 duty if the current state of play remains.
Vikings Evidently Kicked Tires on Old Friend at QB
The club has stayed idle as prominent QB2s like Jameis Winston and Zach Wilson have signed elsewhere, and many wonder when general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will get down to brass tacks and find one.
And according to Star Tribune, the Vikings reportedly explored Joshua Dobbs’ free agency before he ultimately landed with the New England Patriots.
The Alleged Josh Dobbs Interest
Star Tribune‘s Ben Goessling said last Friday on the Access Vikings Podcast, “I actually heard this week that Josh Dobbs was a guy they looked at bringing back for a second tour of duty in Minnesota,” Goessling said. “They’re looking in that market from what I understand at this point.”
No deal materialized, and Dobbs chose to support Patriots QB1 Drake Maye next season.
Re-upping with Dobbs would receive mixed reviews from the Vikings’ fan base, as at the peak of his powers, Dobbs played tremendously, but when the bottom fell out, well, it was awful.
Dobbs with Vikings in 2023
Dobbs set the world on fire — for about three weeks — in 2023, guiding the Vikings to two unforeseen victories versus the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints. The wins helped keep Minnesota’s season afloat and even gave the Vikings an over 80% chance of reaching the postseason (at the time).
Minnesota lost former QB1 Kirk Cousins to a season-ending Achilles rupture in late October of 2023, and in an attempt to keep the season afloat because QB2 Nick Mullens was also injured, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah fired off a low-risk trade with the Arizona Cardinals for Dobbs. Adofo-Mensah sent a 6th-Round draft pick to the desert in exchange for Dobbs and a conditional 7th-Rounder.
The trade turned out to be next to free. Dobbs needed to play 55% of the Vikings’ offensive snaps for the Cardinals to retain the 7th-Round selection. That did not happen.
After the Cousins injury on October 29th, 2023, Minnesota started rookie passer Jaren Hall for two drives at Atlanta before a concussion knocked him out of the lineup. Dobbs entered the mix and dazzled. He looked like an unabashed Pro Bowler for a day, only studying the Vikings’ playbook in broad strokes before insertion into the lineup. DobbsMania fully engulfed the state of Minnesota and the NFL on the whole. The veteran passer then helped the Vikings win the following game at home versus the New Orleans Saints, and Dobbs played a major role in the dub.
Then, the wheels fell off.
Dobbs failed to generate chemistry with Jordan Addison, didn’t excel throwing outside the numbers, and left Justin Jefferson out to dry with an errant pass at the Denver Broncos. Head coach Kevin O’Connell benched Dobbs mid-game the following Sunday at the Las Vegas Raiders, Nick Mullens joined the lineup, Minnesota beat Las Vegas, and Dobbs was never heard from again. That was also the Vikings’ final win of 2023.
The journeyman quarterback signed with the San Francisco 49ers a few months later.
Who Will It Be for QB2?
The Vikings are basically down to these options for QB2s as free agency’s second wave winds down:
- Joe Flacco
- Case Keenum
- Trey Lance
- Drew Lock
- Ryan Tannehill
- Mike White
Minnesota could also explore a low-risk trade for a player like Aidan O’Connell (Las Vegas Raiders) or Sam Howell (Seattle Seahawks).
Tannehill and Flacco can be considered the frontrunners unless Minnesota is perfectly content with Brett Rypien.
All the Former Vikings in New England
Side note: the Patriots employ an unholy number of former Vikings:
- Marcus Epps (S)
- Parker Romo (K)
- Jaquelin Roy (DT)
- Khyiris Tonga (DT)
- Joshua Dobbs (QB)
- Christian Elliss (LB)
- Vederian Lowe (OT)
- Garrett Bradbury (C)
- Tyrese Robinson (OG)
And apparently, that list could’ve been one name smaller if the Dobbs interest in Minnesota had panned out.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.