In a flood of moves just before the NFL trade deadline, the Minnesota Vikings are trading for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Josh Dobbs, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Dobbs was a former fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2017.
This is a somewhat shocking move. Dobbs has been the starter in Arizona all season long with Kyler Murray injured. Though the team has been able to scrape together just one win in eight games, Dobbs has done a very respectable job as a stop-gap starter.
The #Vikings are trading for #AZCardinals QB Josh Dobbs, with plenty of starting experience, per me and @TomPelissero.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 31, 2023
It helps make up for the loss of Kirk Cousins. And gives MIN a chance… pic.twitter.com/TUEnTemakr
ESPN's Adam Schefter confirms that this will be a pick-swap trade. The Vikings are giving up a 6th-round pick for Dobbs and a 7th-rounder.
The situation hasn't been easy either. Just before the season, Dobbs was one of the backup quarterbacks to Deshaun Watson in Cleveland. The journeyman was then traded to the Cardinals and asked to pick up an entirely new playbook all at once.
During his eight-game stint in Arizona, Dobbs finished his Cardinals career with 8 passing touchdowns and 5 interceptions to go with 1,569 yards and a passer rating of 81.2, via Pro Football Reference. However, Dobbs is a duel threat who can do some damage with his legs as well. Though less than half a season, the veteran has 258 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns.
This trade comes directly as a result of the unfortunate injury news of Kirk Cousins. The Vikings' starting QB was confirmed to have a ruptured Achilles -- effectively ending his 2023 season.
In a way that many of us didn't see coming, Dobbs was able to revive his NFL career, and should now be entering a much better situation in Arizona. During his time with the Steelers, Dobbs barely saw the field, as he managed just 17 passing attempts during his time in Pittsburgh.
In his second season, the Steelers traded Dobbs to Jacksonville, but he later returned to the team and would see the field one more time in 2020. Since then, he has spent some time with the Browns, Lions, and Titans. Dobbs was the quarterback down the stretch last year in Tennessee when Ryan Tannehill was injured.
This should be another excellent opportunity for a former Steelers player who is fun to root for. We wish him the best during his tenure as the starting quarterback in Minnesota. Maybe he can turn his time there into a nice contract next offseason.