Kevin O’Connell hints at 1 big change for Vikings

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell speaks with the media.

The Minnesota Vikings will have an extra week to think about their disappointing loss to the Chicago Bears, and head coach Kevin O’Connell hinted that one big change could be made after the bye.

Josh Dobbs threw four interceptions in Minnesota’s 12-10 loss. O’Connell admitted afterward that he thought about making a quarterback change during the game. The coach also would not commit to Dobbs as the team’s starter when the Vikings come out of their bye in Week 14.

Vikings will “evaluate” their QB position during their upcoming bye week. After watching QB Josh Dobbs throw four interceptions in the 12-10 loss to the Bears, HC Kevin O'Connell said he will spend the bye week reviewing the best path forward. “We're going to take a look and…

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 28, 2023

“We’re going to take a look and really evaluate the inventory of plays we have of Josh,” O’Connell told reporters. “We got healthy. We got Jaren (Hall) back available to us, and then Nick Mullens is available as well.”

The comments were somewhat surprising given how well Dobbs has played for the Vikings. He led the team to an unbelievable comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 9 just days after Minnesota acquired him in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals. Dobbs played well again in the Vikings’ Week 10 win over the New Orleans Saints and was solid in a 21-20 loss to the Denver Broncos last week.

Despite all that, his job apparently is not safe. O’Connell may be thinking that defenses have caught up to what Dobbs does well. Even if that is the case, one bad game does not necessarily mean Jaren Hall or Nick Mullens would be an upgrade over Dobbs, who has apparently earned a lot of respect across the NFL.