An Ex-Vikings QB Switcheroo Takes Place in Motown

The Lions have seen a single ex-Vikings QB step away. As a replacement, the Lions opted for a different ex-Vikings QB.

Check out the update courtesy of The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy: “Detroit Lions quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is stepping away from the team, coach Dan Campbell told reporters Sunday afternoon. The Lions placed Bridgewater on the reserved/retired list following Campbell’s comments.”

Further from Pouncy: “To offset Bridgewater’s decision, the Lions reportedly are signing veteran Josh Dobbs. That makes the team’s QB room: Goff, rookie UDFA Luke Altmyer and Dobbs, who will be playing for his seventh team since coming into the league in 2018.”

So, that’s a minus one before a plus one as it relates for former purple passers getting work with the Detroit Lions.

Ex-Vikings QBs Shuffle in DET

Best guess from yours truly is that the Detroit Lions go back to the top of the NFC North. Anybody who has followed football for more than five years(ish) may still find it odd to see the Lions so formidable, but that’s reality.

Head coach Dan Campbell has proven to be a great leader. General manager Brad Holmes has been spectacular, drafting terrific talent that includes OT Penei Sewell, LB Jack Campbell, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, and various others. Detroit’s roster is well-nourished by homegrown talent that gives Detroit a weekly advantage.

There’s then a cluster of good teams in the North — the Bears, Packers, and Vikings — looking to prove they belong.

Expect the Bears to regress after some Ben Johnson magic that was reminiscent of Kevin O’Connell’s impact in 2022. Next up are the Packers. Jordan Love can be spectacular but his team has had an awful offseason. Look for Green Bay to take a step back, as well.

Can the Vikings assert themselves from within the NFC North? Finishing off at 10-7 (or better) could involve being in the playoffs, albeit as a Wild Card team.

Detroit is likely sad to see Teddy Bridgewater leave. The former Vikings 1st-Round selection is essentially the perfect backup passer. A sneaky athlete, Bridgewater can move around a bit but he’s mostly a pocket passer. He has an average arm but off-the-charts intangibles. Teammates will believe in him when he steps onto the field.

Opting for Dobbs as a replacement is a good move. Quite possibly, Dobbs is the smartest passer in the NFL who is a gifted athlete. He, too, has a poor arm, but can still be a solid QB2 so long as the assignment is short-term fill-in duty rather than needing to carry a team through the season.

Meanwhile, the Vikings are sorting through its own quarterback situation.

Some of the recent chatter has involved the possibility that J.J. McCarthy is gaining ground. Look to Thor Nystrom’s take following the weekend night practice: “The QB competition has been inarguably slanted and arguably fixed from the beginning for a specific outcome. JJ isn’t playing his part — he outplayed Kyler again tonight, this time under the lights in front of a packed house. If the competition is real he’s earned more 1 reps.”

Judd Zulgad with his perspective: “Let’s make one thing clear about the Vikings’ night practice: Kyler was bad — especially early — and McCarthy was good early. But McCarthy’s play slipped. Neither of these two have shown any consistency or lived up to what you want to see from an NFL quarterback.”

So, the Vikings are working on solving their own issue under center. Most believe that Kyler Murray starts the season as the starter.

Teddy Bridgewater is 33 and has been around the NFL. Likewise, Josh Dobbs, 31, has been employed by a pile of different teams. Each are capable of helping a team win.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

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