The Vikings star could be in for a big payday in 2024
The Minnesota Vikings just answered a major question at the quarterback position by signing Josh Dobbs, but he’ll be asking questions of his own in the not-so-distant future.
Dobbs is playing on a one-year, $2 million contract he signed with the Arizona Cardinals after being traded to the Cleveland Browns just before the start of the regular season. After just one game in Minnesota, albeit an impressive one, Dobbs is already set to cash in on free agency in March 2024.
“He’s earned that high-profile No. 2 status,” the AFC manager told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Wednesday, Nov. 8. “A guy who can start games for you if you need to, and that pays pretty good money.”
Fowler compared Dobbs’ earning potential to Jacoby Brissett, who he backed when they were with the Browns in 2022. “Consider Jacoby Brissett, who earned a one-year, $10 million deal with $8 million guaranteed from the [Washington] Chiefs after performing well as Cleveland’s bridge starter,” Fowler wrote. “Could be Dobbs Lane.”
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs.
Dobbs was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 135th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He played in games for the series in both 2018 and 2020, despite not earning a single start.
Dobbs landed behind Brissett in Cleveland but never got a chance. He was waived by the Browns when Deshaun Watson returned from suspension and Dobbs was assigned to the Detroit Lions’ practice squad. He was there for a few weeks before the Tennessee Titans added him, giving Dobbs his first two NFL starts at QB due to injury. Dobbs lost both games, but solidified his talent and determination in the process.
Cleveland re-added Dobbs last season, but ended up trading him to Arizona, opting instead for rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson and former third-string quarterback P.J. Walker combination. Dobbs started eight games for the Cardinals this season and earned just one. However, the win came against the Dallas Cowboys, and Dobbs kept Arizona in contention in most games despite playing on a poor team that was hit hard by injuries.
He led the Vikings’ fourth quarter comeback over the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday despite having little knowledge of the playbook and not getting drills with his teammates. The effort won over Dobbs fans overnight, especially in Minnesota, where the team named him the very next week against the New Orleans Saints.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs.
Minnesota opted not to add a new QB this week despite rookie Jaren Hall in the league’s concussion protocol and Nick Mullens coming off IR with a back injury. Both are likely to play on Sunday, meaning Sean Mannion will move up from the practice squad to second.
The Vikings need to sign at least one or two QBs this offseason, the question is who those players are and what role they can play in Minnesota’s offense. Kirk Cousins was out for the year with a torn Achilles, and his injury was the first domino to fall in a frenzy under center over the next 10 days.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has left the door open for the Vikings to re-sign Cousins, but the two sides clearly disagree on the value or length of a potential deal. If they had, they could have agreed to a multi-year extension the past two seasons, but that didn’t happen. Hall is under contract for the next three years, though Dobbs took the opportunity to prove he’s a capable starter with his Week 1 exploits in Atlanta. Mannion has a history with Minnesota that includes two starts, but if he was the answer, the Vikings would have known long ago.
The franchise may try to bring Dobbs back, but his price may outweigh his value with all the influence his immediate success in Minnesota has given him in the minds of league executives. Dobbs is 28 years old, has less than $7.5 million in career earnings and needs to reach his earning power first.
