Josh Dobbs Traded to Vikings from Cardinals After Kirk Cousins' Achilles Injury

One day after Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said the team would start either Kyler Murray or Clayton Tune in Week 9, Joshua Dobbs is on his way to the Minnesota Vikings along with a 2024 seventh-round draft pick in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick.

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters on Monday that an MRI confirmed Kirk Cousins suffered a torn Achilles in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers.

When the Cardinals were trying to figure out their quarterback situation to start the season, Dobbs was acquired from the Cleveland Browns on Aug. 23. He wound up winning the starting job despite only being on the roster for 18 days prior to the season opener.

Now that Murray is getting closer to returning from a torn ACL, it left the Cardinals in a position where they could have moved Dobbs to the bench as their primary backup.

Immediately following Sunday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Gannon told reporters that Dobbs would remain the starter in Week 9 and Murray's status was "day-to-day" for Week 10 against the Atlanta Falcons.

During his press conference on Monday, Gannon changed his mind and said either Murray or Tune would get the start in Week 9 against the Cleveland Browns.

"Just watching the tape again, talking with the staff, feel like this gives us the best chance to win," Gannon said of his decision not to go with Dobbs.

It seems like that may have been a smokescreen now that this reported deal with the Vikings has come down.

While Dobbs is unlikely to replace the production Minnesota was getting from Cousins, he's played surprisingly well so far this season. The 28-year-old is completing 62.8 percent of his attempts for 1,569 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions in eight starts.

At the very least, Dobbs gives O'Connell options to work with at quarterback over the second half of this season. Fifth-round rookie Jaren Hall was the only other healthy quarterback on the roster.

The Vikings have won four of their last five games and currently occupy the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoff race.