Jaren Hall Exits First NFL Start with Concussion
With Kirk Cousins suffering a torn Achilles during Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers, the Vikings had to scramble to find a new starter for this weekend’s game in Atlanta.
As a result, rookie QB Jaren Hall was set to make his first NFL start. The rookie was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft after a strong collegiate career at BYU.
Unfortunately, Hall’s first start ended prematurely as he exited the game with a concussion. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the news, tweeting, “#Vikings rookie QB Jaren Hall’s first NFL start lasted less than one quarter: He’s out for the game with a concussion. Just five days after being acquired from Arizona, Joshua Dobbs is coming in at QB for Minnesota.”
Jaren Hall Exits First NFL Start with Concussion
Hall was leading the Vikings on a red zone drive in the first quarter when he scrambled towards the goal line and took a nasty blow to the head. After coming up shaky, refs and players alike waved medical personnel onto the field to help the rookie off the field.
Overall, it was a promising start to the game for Hall prior to the injury as he had completed five of his first six passes for 78 yards, including a 47-yard pass to Alexander Mattison which got Minnesota into the red zone.
Now, the Vikings will turn to veteran Joshua Dobbs for the remainder of the game. Minnesota acquired him via trade at the deadline from the Arizona Cardinals.
Dobbs had started the first eight games of the season for Arizona and recorded 1569 passing yards for 8 TDs and 5 INTs. He also has sneaky athletic ability and totaled 258 rushing yards and 3 rushing TDs for the Cardinals, averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
Hopefully, Dobbs and the Vikings are able to pull off the upset, but it will be a very tough ask with a player who has been with the team for just five days. The game was tied at 3-3 at the end of the first quarter following Hall’s injury.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.
