Josh Dobbs, also known as the Passtronaut, stands on turf, the moon and business. (Artwork used with permission by @elicorbett – Instagram)

It is not every day you see a backup quarterback come into a game without practicing with the team and succeed. Newly acquired quarterback Joshua Dobbs has done just that for the Minnesota Vikings so far this year. After starting the season 1-7, the Arizona Cardinals decided to trade their starting quarterback to the Vikings for a late-round pick. The Vikings made this trade because they needed a backup after the injury to Kirk Cousins. 

When Kirk Cousins went down with a season-ending injury, it was clear who was going to start and play quarterback for the rest of the season. Jaren Hall was drafted in the fifth round at pick 164, it was apparent that for the Vikings they would have Hall to lean on if anything bad were to happen to Cousins for the remainder of the time he would spend in Minnesota. As any team would, the Vikings traded for some quick relief in their need for a second-string quarterback.

Dobbs had less than 100 hours in Minnesota before having to be the second-string quarterback in a professional football game. He barely knew any of the players on the team, let alone any of the plays or schemes the Vikings run. The starter Hall played a mere two drives before coming out of the game with a concussion, forcing Dobbs to play the rest of the game. He struggled early on but ended up finding his groove by using his legs to avoid defenders and extend plays. Dobbs ended up winning the game and was celebrated all over the state of Minnesota. 

Dobbs garnered hype all around the country, not only for his exceptional play on the field but also for his intelligence off the field. He graduated with a 4.0 GPA in aerospace engineering from the University of Tennessee. Although he is an NFL quarterback, his parents wished he worked at NASA. This is how he acquired the nickname, the Passtronaut. This intelligence is the reason he was able to succeed with such short notice.

“If we had to pull up a roster of names, I’ll be a bad teammate today,” said Dobbs. He did not know the names of over half his teammates. The following week he had trouble navigating U.S. Bank Stadium, even needing help to find where the locker room was. 

Up until now, Dobbs has tallied two wins and two losses for the Vikings and has shown signs of slowing down. The future is uncertain for Dobbs as coach Kevin O’Connell could be looking for a change in the quarterback position. As unfortunate as that is, there is no doubt that Dobbs had one of the most impressive runs that fans have ever seen from a backup quarterback.