Vikings' Josh Dobbs Contending For League Award After Historic Performance

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs is now included among the favorites to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Dobbs' odds increased from 75/1 to 15/1 (+1500), ranking fourth behind Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (-175), Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (+300) and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (+750). The former University of Tennessee standout led the Vikings to a 31-28 win against the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday (November 5) despite the improbable task of relieving rookie quarterback Jaren Hall just five days after joining the team.

Dobbs, who previously participated in an internship at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, threw for 158 yards and two touchdowns on 20 of 30 passing, while also recording a team-best 66 yards and one touchdown on seven rushing attempts during Sunday's win.

"If you could hear the headset, there was a lot going on," Dobbs said via SI.com. "It was great that [head coach] Kevin [O'Connell] played quarterback, so he obviously knows what I’m going through. He's able to communicate effectively like, ‘Hey, this what you’re looking at. This is what you have on this side of the page. This is what you have on that side of the page.' He’s able to talk in lingos that I come from to be able to simplify it for me. Then from there, obviously, it was just about going out and playing. I thought the communication was awesome, starting with [quarterbacks coach] Chris [O’Hara] on the sideline, then with Kevin, then to me on the field. It put me in a position to succeed."

Dobbs was acquired by the Vikings in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals just prior to the NFL's trade deadline last week, but was rushed into Sunday's game after Hall suffered a concussion on his opening drive. The journeyman quarterback had previously started eight games for the Cardinals in the absence of franchise quarterback Kyler Murray in 2023 and made two starts for the Tennessee Titans in 2022 after predominantly serving as a backup for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns.

Dobbs will make his first start for the Vikings in Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium.