EAGAN, Minn. — The "passtronaut" isn't getting passed over yet, as the Minnesota Vikings announced Joshua Dobbs will be their starting quarterback on Sunday.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell made the announcement Wednesday, even though Dobbs threw four interceptions — three of them off deflections of varying degrees — during a damaging 12-10 loss at home to Chicago on Nov. 27. O’Connell acknowledged after that game he considered benching Dobbs to give the offense a spark.
O'Connell said he decided during the team's bye week that Dobbs was still the best option to play at Las Vegas on Sunday and that he deserved another opportunity. The decision was not necessarily for the rest for the season, O'Connell said.
When Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles tendon in the game at Green Bay on Oct. 29, the Vikings (6-6) have been scrambling ever since.
The trade with Arizona that fetched Dobbs was a valuable find, but the seventh-year veteran has shown his vulnerabilities in losses in the past two games.
Nick Mullens will be the backup this week, O'Connell said. He has been battling a lower back injury for much of the season. Rookie Jaren Hall was the first post-Cousins starter on Nov. 5 before a concussion forced him out of the game at Atlanta - and where Dobbs was hustled in - will be the third-stringer.
Dobbs is expected to get a boost from the return of wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who was activated last week from injured reserve. The 2022 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year has missed the past seven games with a strained hamstring.
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