Cardinals trade QB Joshua Dobbs to Vikings as Kirk Cousins injury replacement

The Arizona Cardinals, with starter Kyler Murray’s return from ACL recovery upcoming, are trading Joshua Dobbs to the Minnesota Vikings to give them a replacement option for the injured Kirk Cousins, as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.

Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reports the Cardinals received a sixth-round pick from Minnesota and shipped out a seventh-rounder. The seventh-round pick acquired by Minnesota has terms attached that will give Arizona the seventh-rounder back if Dobbs starts at least half of the remaining games on the Vikings’ schedule.

The Cardinals acquired Dobbs and a 2024 seventh-round pick from the Browns before the season began for a 2024 fifth-rounder originally owned by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Cousins’ season is over after he suffered a torn Achilles on Sunday.

Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon announced on Sunday after the Cardinals fell to 1-7 that Dobbs would start next week against the Cleveland Browns but pivoted after watching film and discussing a new plan with his staff on Monday. Gannon said either Murray or rookie Clayton Tune would start Week 9 against the Cleveland Browns.

Dobbs has thrown for 1,569 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions through eight starts for Arizona.

He’s rushed 47 times for 258 yards and three touchdowns as well.

All five of Dobbs’ interceptions havec come in the past four weeks after a clean first four games. Since Week 4, he’s also lost two of five fumbles.

For Minnesota, Cousins has a torn right Achilles tendon that will end his season, dampening the mood around the Vikings after their recent resurgence and putting the front office and coaching staff in a scramble to figure out which quarterback to finish with.

The Vikings (4-4) beat the Packers 24-10 on Sunday and climbed above the cut for the playoffs after an 0-3 start. Staying there will be far more challenging without Cousins, their ever-ready leader who’s suddenly and stunningly unavailable to play.

Rookie Jaren Hall, a fifth-round draft pick from BYU, took over for Cousins. O’Connell refused to commit to Hall as the long-term replacement, though the Vikings would be hard-pressed to start anyone else this week when they visit Atlanta.

Nick Mullens, the primary backup, is on injured reserve with a lower back injury and must miss at least one more game. If the Vikings were to bring in a veteran free agent or acquire one in a trade, he’d only have five days to assimilate to the offense.

Cousins will have surgery on a to-be-determined date. No recovery timetable was announced, but it’s typically at least a six-month process for returning to full strength. New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has raised the long-shot possibility of returning this season from his torn left Achilles tendon, but he’s nearly two months ahead of Cousins on his rehab because he was hurt in the opener.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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