The Minnesota Vikings desperately needed to add a quarterback in Week 9, with rookie Jaren Hall the only healthy signal caller on the roster following Kirk Cousins‘ season-ending Achilles injury on October 29.
Up against the league’s October 31 trade deadline, Minnesota landed journeyman Josh Dobbs in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals 48 hours after Cousins went down.
But Dobbs wasn’t the Vikings’ first choice to take Cousins’ spot on the roster
KSTP’s Darren Wolfson reported that Minnesota was “keying in” on acquiring Tampa Bay Buccaneers veteran quarterback John Wolford.
Wolford was on the Buccaneers practice squad, but after several teams inquired about signing him off the practice squad, Wolford declined at least one offer, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, and was later elevated to Tampa Bay’s 53-man roster
It’s not like it was Josh Dobbs or bust. John Wolford, he was the guy they really wanted but Tampa made the elevation, moved him up from the practice squad to the 53-man roster,” Wolfson said on the November 3 episode of SKOR North’s “Mackey & Judd” podcast. “Wolford was the guy they were really keying in on but Tampa made that move.”
Wolford told the Tampa Bay Times it made “logical sense” to stay in Tampa Bay despite the interest he received before his elevation, citing his family roots in Florida and his satisfaction with his role.
Why does the mention of Wolford matter at this juncture?
Wolford credits his first-hand experience working with Kevin O’Connell in Los Angeles to his staying power in the NFL. His acclimation to playing quarterback in the NFL, with the help of O’Connell, is the same challenge Hall faces this week ahead of his first career start.
“[Playing for O’Connell] would be an ideal fit for any rookie QB,” Wolford told The Athletic in April. “If I was one, I’d be champing at the bit to get to Minnesota.”
