Former Cardinals QB Joshua Dobbs Officially Benched by Vikings

The Josh Dobbs experiment in Minnesota is over.

ARIZONA -- It wasn't long ago when Joshua Dobbs was leading the Arizona Cardinals to impressive outings despite being shorthanded in several areas. 

The "Passtronaut" was an incredibly fun story during his stay in the desert, though a mixture of poor play and Kyler Murray's return to full health prompted a last-minute deal at the trade deadline to send Dobbs packing to the Minnesota Vikings. 

It didn't take long for Dobbs to recreate that magic in his new surroundings, though it was only a matter of time before his spaceship came crashing down once again. 

Today, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported the Vikings will be making a change at quarterback, swapping Dobbs out of the lineup in favor for Nick Mullens. 

A QB change for the #Vikings: Nick Mullens is set to start against the #Bengals, with Josh Dobbs heading to the bench, per me and @TomPelissero.

Mullens is healthy after his time on Injured Reserve and now jumps into a playoff race. pic.twitter.com/M1cthGN6C9

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 12, 2023

Dobbs was benched in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 3-0 win against the Las Vegas Raiders. Sitting at 7-6 and without Kirk Cousins, Minnesota felt like the former Cardinals passer couldn't offer much more to their ceiling. 

More from Pelissero on Twitter/X:

"This will be Kevin O’Connell’s fourth different starting QB this season. In the previous 73 seasons, just seven teams won a game with four different starting QBs in a single season. The #Vikings now can become the second in 2023; the Browns did it last week."

Dobbs was acquired by Arizona right before the regular season and went just 1-7 as a starter under head coach Jonathan Gannon. After being dealt to Minnesota, he was instantly thrown into action due to injuries and led the Vikings to an improbable win. 

Now, weeks later, he finishes with a 2-2 record as a starter, throwing for 895 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions. 

The Cardinals are 2-2 with Murray as their starter.