After a restless couple of weeks, Josh Dobbs is now falling behind in the QB1 race with the Minnesota Vikings. He was recently announced to have been demoted as a third-stringer QB before the upcoming Cincinnati Bengals matchup on Saturday.
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The Vikings secured one of the lowest-scoring wins against the Las Vegas Raiders last week. In the game, the Vikings starting QB Josh Dobbs started the game and completed 10 of 23 passes while throwing for 63 yards. The Vikings benched him in the fourth quarter as they struggled to score a single point in the first three quarters.
: Not only are the #Vikings benching Josh Dobbs for Nick Mullens, they are demoting him to 3rd-stringer behind rookie Jaren Hall who will be QB2.
What an unexpected journey this season for Dobbs.. https://t.co/JI3hNB5duh pic.twitter.com/ukl1M6VWqk
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 14, 2023
Backup quarterback Nick Mullens replaced Josh Dobbs who played his first game of the season. Mullens made an impact by throwing a 26-yard pass to T.J. Hockenson on his first attempt. He gained 83 yards with 13 passes, outperforming Dobbs’ 23 throws. However, after his lackluster game against the Raiders last week he has been demoted to a 3rd string QB and former San Francisco 49ers QB, Nick Mullens will be starting the Week 15 game against the Bengals.
NFL Insider Dov Kleiman on X (formerly Twitter) revealed that the Minnesota Vikings plan to bench Josh Dobbs for the next game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Additionally, they will demote him to the third-string position, placing rookie QB Jaren Hall as the new QB2.
Dobbs’ Demotion Baffles Fans
After Vikings star QB Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles tendon in the fourth quarter while playing against the Green Bay Packers in Week 8, the franchise desperately needed a veteran QB on their roster. They traded for Josh Dobbs from the Arizona Cardinals two days after Cousins’s injury.
Since then, Dobss has started in four of five games for the Vikings and has managed to win two games as a starter. His first two games with Minnesota were nothing short of spectacular, as his stellar performance threw him in the spotlight, even being looked at as a savior. However, things took a downward turn in his third game, and haven’t looked up since.
The surprising decision to demote Josh Dobbs stirred up confusion among fans and led to criticism against the team for disrespecting their quarterback. Fans took to social media to voice their support for Dobbs, expressing frustration and strongly condemning the Vikings’ move.
A fan mentioned,
3rd string? Why the disrespect?
— BiggBreeze (@BigBreezy29) December 14, 2023
Another one stated,
Then why trade for him????
— Noah Trombley (@noahtrom96) December 14, 2023
A user expressed,
Oh man The QB Situation is a disaster in Minnesota. Looks like they need a QB in 2024.
— Jackson Johnson (@Jackson09960335) December 14, 2023
A different fan wrote,
I thought Dobbs was him?
— AstrosRocketsTexans (@saul621) December 14, 2023
Another user said,
Vikings downfall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
— Glob Dabolina (@GlobDabolina) December 14, 2023
When Kirk Cousins was the starting QB until Week 8, the Vikings had an even record of 4 wins and 4 losses. Since then, after five games, they’ve won three more, making it 7 wins and 6 losses. The team has faced difficulties since Cousins left. Now, they’re hoping Nick Mullens can step up in the next four games to secure the QB position strongly if they aim to make it to the playoffs.
