Now starting in place of Kirk Cousins in Minnesota, quarterback Josh Dobbs recalls his exit from Arizona with a not-so-fond memory
Quarterback Josh Dobbs has been finding a lot of success since he replaced the injured Kirk Cousins up in Minnesota. He’s 2-0 and has become one of the great mid-season stories in the NFL in 2023. However, his time and departure with the Arizona Cardinals was a confusing one. Now, Dobbs is claiming that Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon lied right to his face during his time in the desert.
Dobbs went online recently and posted a video of him making this claim. And considering the mess that it seems is going on in Arizona in recent years, it comes as no surprise to many experts and observers from around The League.
The clip – from Josh Dobbs’ “Torchbearers” podcast this week – discussed how the Cardinals and their staff handled the situation surrounding Kyler Murray’s injury and eventual return as the starting quarterback.
Dobbs, 28, says that Coach Gannon informed him that he would be the starter against the Cleveland Browns in Week 8, only to hand the ball to rookie Clayton Tune when game time rolled around.
Shortly thereafter, Josh Dobbs was traded to Minnesota, along with a seventh-round selection, to the Minnesota Vikings for a sixth-round pick. That trade was maligned at the time – and has been even more so considering the young veteran’s outstanding play for the Vikings.
Now, Josh Dobbs is explaining the circumstances surrounding his departure. And it doesn’t paint Gannon in a very favorable light.
“We’re in the locker room… [Gannon] gets off his podium — he does media before I do — and he says I’m starting for the Cardinals in Cleveland the next week,” Dobbs recalled. “I go to the facility on Monday and J.G. calls me to his office and says, ‘Hey, we’re gonna start Clayton Tune in Cleveland.’”
“I went home and called my agent, just talking to him about the situation,” Dobbs said. “Went to sleep, woke up Tuesday morning with a text from my agent saying, ‘Hey, you could be traded today because it’s the trade deadline.’ When I had the meeting with [Gannon] in Arizona he looked at me in the face and he said, ‘You’re not being traded. You’re not being released. You’re going to be here in Arizona.'”
Josh Dobbs notably started for the Vikes just five days after being acquired and led them to a thrilling victory over the Atlanta Falcons, 31-28. He followed that up with a 264-yard passing effort, passing and running for a touchdown each, as he led Minnesota to a second straight win – this time a 27-19 victory over New Orleans.
While there has been no direct reply from Gannon or the Cardinals’ organization regarding Dobbs’ recent comments, they surely have to be taking notice of what they let go. Josh Dobbs and the Vikings (6-4) will look to keep their playoff drive alive when they battle the Denver Broncos (4-5 ) on this week’s edition of Sunday Night Football.
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