Josh Dobbs has been demoted all the way to third string.
Dobbs, who started the last four games at quarterback for the Vikings but was benched for Nick Mullens last week, will be Minnesota’s emergency third quarterback for Saturday’s game against Cincinnati, head coach Kevin O’Connell announced today.
Rookie Jaren Hall, who initially assumed the starting job after Kirk Cousins’ injury but was injured and replaced by Dobbs in the first quarter of his first start, is now the Vikings’ No. 2 quarterback behind Mullens.
Dobbs played surprisingly well after arriving in a trade with the Cardinals and is a big part of the reason the Vikings remain in playoff contention after losing Cousins. But he has struggled in each of the Vikings’ last two games, and O’Connell has decided a depth chart shakeup is needed.
The Vikings are three-point underdogs against the Bengals in a game between two teams that are 7-6 despite playing backup quarterbacks.
