Josh Dobbs reveals how young Vikings QB 'impressed' him in 2023

Despite finishing outside of the playoffs with a disappointing 7-10 record, there were still plenty of fun Minnesota Vikings moments from the 2023 season, thanks in part to guys like veteran quarterback Josh Dobbs.

No one could have imagined the sort of excitement that Dobbs immediately added to the Vikings and their fan base shortly after the team lost quarterback Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles injury.

Unfortunately, the excitement with Dobbs didn't last as long as Minnesota would have hoped. But he still managed to help create some positive memories from a 2023 campaign that many Vikings fans would like to forget about.

Josh Dobbs was "impressed" with Minnesota Vikings QB Jaren Hall in 2023

Dobbs was acquired by Minnesota right before last season's trade deadline, and when he first joined the organization, the team was preparing rookie quarterback Jaren Hall to start in their first game without Cousins.

During a recent appearance on "The Adam Schefter Podcast", the former Vikings signal-caller said the following about what he immediately noticed about Hall and how the rookie passer left him feeling impressed.

"I've got a lot of respect for Jaren and the way that he prepares too. I know he had an interesting shake-out at the end of the season, but I hope he gets another shot to go out there and play because the dude works his butt off and prepares like he's a three-year vet.

Like that's why I was impressed and it really helped me play well when I got there for the Atlanta game. Obviously, it was Jaren's show, and he was starting, and obviously, he had the injury at the end of the first quarter, but I mean, he was running the show in practice and, so watching that, I was like, 'okay, this is what I gotta do.'"

Unfortunately for Minnesota, neither Dobbs nor Hall was able to do enough during their starts to help the team earn their first back-to-back playoff appearance since the 2009 season.

Instead, the Vikings have moved on from Dobbs, they signed Sam Darnold in free agency, and Hall's spot on the roster could be in jeopardy if Minnesota decides to select one of the top quarterback prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Hall joined the Vikings last year after the team used a fifth-round selection on him in the 2023 draft. He was viewed as a bit of a project, and he wasn't even expected to play at all last season. But obviously, the injury to Cousins changed those plans, and the rookie quarterback ended up starting two games for Minnesota in 2023.

During both starts, he failed to remain on the field for the entire game. Hall exited the field during his first start in Week 9 after he sustained a concussion on the Vikings' second offensive drive of the matchup, and then against the Green Bay Packers in Week 17, he was benched at the half after only throwing for 67 yards in the game's first two quarters.

Perhaps a full offseason with Minnesota will turn things around for Hall this year. But even if he does seem to have a better grasp on the Vikings' offense, it still seems like it's going to be incredibly difficult for him to remain on the team's final 2024 roster, especially if Minnesota opts to add a new quarterback with an early-round selection during this year's NFL Draft later this month.

More Vikings News and Analysis