The Vikings Are Riding with the Rookie in Week 9
Following Kirk Cousins’ season-ending Achilles tear, the question of who Minnesota’s starting QB would be for the rest of the season has been on the minds of Vikings fans ever since.
Prior to Tuesday’s trade deadline, Minnesota swung a deal to bring in Joshua Dobbs from Arizona, who started each of the first eight games for the Cardinals this season.
However, given the fact that Minnesota’s Week 9 game against the Atlanta Falcons is just a few days away, it would be very tough for Dobbs to turn around and start immediately. During his press conference on Tuesday, head coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed that the Vikings are riding with rookie QB Jaren Hall against the Falcons.
Vikings Name Jaren Hall the Starting QB for Week 9
The Vikings head coach stated, “We do plan to start Jaren Hall on Sunday…Excited to see what Jaren can do.”
Hall was selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by Minnesota after a very promising collegiate career at BYU. During his two years as a starter, the former Cougar threw for 5754 passing yards as well as 51 TDs compared to only 11 INTs.
Along with a strong arm and great accuracy, Hall brings some outstanding athleticism to the table. He rushed for 657 yards and 6 more TDs during his starting seasons, and that should be an added element to his game during his first career NFL start on Sunday.
Of course, it won’t be an easy task for the rookie to jump into the starting lineup. Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips had the following to say of the feat in front of Hall, “There’s still a lot on any NFL quarterback. Starting a game and mastering a gameplan, it’s like cramming for a test, so he’ll have his work cut out for him.”
Hall is jumping into a very intricate offense that was led by one of the longest-tenured QBs in the league in Cousins. It will be a very difficult task to ensure that he is ready to go on Sunday, particularly against a tough defense like the one that Atlanta has.
Minnesota is still providing Hall as much support as they can, though. Phillips stated, “I think it’s definitely part of our job to, whatever position, but particularly the quarterback position, to come up with a plan that suits him. Not only his ability, but understanding this is gonna be his first start in a real game and making sure that the plan is tight enough, and that he can have some ownership of it. And by the end of the week, hopefully feel like he’s locked in on everything he needs to do.”
The Vikings find themselves in the midst of a playoff hunt, and their decision to hold onto some of their veteran starters such as Danielle Hunter, Jordan Hicks, and K.J. Osborn indicate that they are going for it.
At 4-4, Minnesota currently holds the No. 7 seed in the conference, and they have matchups with fellow 4-4 teams over the next two weeks in the Falcons and Saints. This is an important stretch, and Hall has an opportunity in front of him to lead this team and maintain this starting role.
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.
