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Jaren Hall

Seahawks Add Jaren Hall To Practice Squad

September 2nd, 2024 at 7:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the Vikings’ four starting quarterbacks last season, Jaren Hall could not stick with Minnesota’s 53-man roster this year. The Vikings waived the 2023 fifth-rounder to make room for Brett Rypien last week.

As Rypien makes his way from Chicago to the Twin Cities, Hall will receive another opportunity. The Seahawks are bringing him in as their de facto third-stringer. The Seahawks are adding Hall to its practice squad, per the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta. Seattle released wide receiver Easop Winston to make room.

[RELATED: Seahawks Not Discussing Geno Smith Extension]

Hall joined Kirk Cousins, Joshua Dobbs and Nick Mullens as Vikings QB starters during a rare four-QB1 season in NFL history. The BYU product completed 65% of his passes at an impressive 8.4 yards per attempt. Hall, however, suffered a concussion in his first start — leading to Dobbs’ quick post-trade debut — and was benched in his second start, a Week 17 loss to the Packers.

Hall had replaced a struggling Mullens ahead of Week 17 but did not get the call for the Vikes’ season finale. Minnesota still has Mullens on its 53-man roster, with the ex-San Francisco UDFA joining Rypien as Sam Darnold‘s backups. J.J. McCarthy is on IR. The Vikings are not carrying a practice squad passer.

Minnesota drafted Hall 164th overall, doing so after he threw 31 touchdown passes compared to six interceptions in his final BYU campaign. Hall succeeded Zach Wilson as the Cougars’ starter in 2021. The Seahawks showed pre-draft interest in the two-year college starter last year, per ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson.

The Seahawks will take over Hall’s development, stashing him behind Geno Smith and trade acquisition Sam Howell. Seattle had placed P.J. Walker in that role during training camp but cut the veteran backup/XFL 2.0 starter last week. Two years remain on Howell’s rookie contract, while Smith is also signed through the 2025 season. The Seahawks can elevate Hall to their 53-man roster up to three times, before they must use waivers to make him their emergency option — thanks to the NFLPA nixing an offseason rule change aimed at QB flexibility.

Vikings Sign QB Brett Rypien, Waive QB Jaren Hall

August 29th, 2024 at 9:58am CST by Adam La Rose

Brett Rypien has not needed to wait long to find a new gig. The veteran quarterback signed with the Vikings on Thursday, per a team announcement.

In a corresponding move, 2023 fifth-rounder Jaren Hall has been waived. Minnesota’s depth chart is still set at the top with Sam Darnold and Nick Mullens. In the wake of rookie J.J. McCarthy‘s season-ending season-ending meniscus surgery, though, the team looked into options for the third quarterback role. Matt Corral was briefly with the team, but he was among the Vikings’ initial roster cuts.

That move had Hall positioned to remain on the 53-man roster, but instead he will now hit the waiver wire. The BYU product made three appearances and two starts during his rookie season after Kirk Cousins‘ Achilles tear. Minnesota allowed Cousins to depart in free agency, adding Darnold on a one-year deal and moving up in the first round of the draft to select McCarthy. The Vikings have moved quickly in adding Rypien as a Hall replacement for the QB3 role.

Rypien was joined by Austin Reed in attempting land a spot with the Bears in 2024. Both passers wound up being cut, although the latter has since been signed to the practice squad. Rypien immediately became a free agent upon being released, a move which left him on the move yet again in his career. The 28-year-old made three starts during a span between 2020 and ’22 with the Broncos, but he has bounced around since that point. He has landed deals with the Rams, Seahawks and Jets in addition to the Bears pact in signed in March. Now, Rypien will look to carve out a role with his next NFC North team.

For Hall, meanwhile, the waiver process will allow teams to put in a claim if they are interested in adding him to their active rosters. Failing that, he will become a free agent eligible to re-sign with the Vikings or join a new team via a practice squad agreement. Minnesota general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said (via Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune) the team does indeed hope to keep the 26-year-old in place via the taxi squad. That move will be possible by the end of the week if no claim is put in.

Vikings To Start QB Jaren Hall In Week 17

December 28th, 2023 at 12:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

A decision has emerged with respect to Minnesota’s quarterback plans to close out the season. Head coach Kevin O’Connell announced on Thursday that Jaren Hall will start in Week 17.

Signs pointed to another change under center in the aftermath of Nick Mullens throwing four interceptions in the Vikings’ loss last week. O’Connell acknowledged a decision would need to be made in the coming days, and first-team reps were split at practice to begin the week. Now, Hall will be entrusted with his second career start in a crucial game as it pertains to Minnesota’s playoff hopes.

In the wake of Kirk Cousins suffering an Achilles tear, the Vikings have struggled to find a consistent replacement at the QB spot. Mullens was injured at the time Cousins went down, which thrust Hall into action. The latter, a fifth-round rookie, suffered a concussion and was forced to exit his debut as a starter. That paved the way for Josh Dobbs to take over immediately upon arrival with the team after he was acquired at the trade deadline.

Dobbs enjoyed a surprising run at first, but his struggles led to Mullens being installed as the starter. The most experienced healthy option at the position, Mullens threw for over 700 yards in his two starts, both of which resulted in losses. A major reason for that was his six interceptions, something O’Connell referenced when making the announcement of the decision to return to Hall. In a pair of appearances this regular season, the BYU alum has thrown a total of 10 passes.

Despite that tangible lack of experience, Hall will be counted on to keep Minnesota in reach of a playoff position. Top spot in the NFC North is no longer attainable, but a wild-card berth is. The Vikings play the Packers on New Year’s Eve before a rematch with the Lions to close out the regular season. Sitting at 7-8 at the moment, Minnesota will need to win both to have a chance at a postseason appearance. Much of whether or not that is achieved will depend on the latest switch under center.

Vikings Contemplating QB Change?

December 26th, 2023 at 10:28am CST by Adam La Rose

The Vikings lost a key divisional matchup in Week 16, in large part due to the turnover-filled performance of quarterback Nick Mullens. In the wake of his rough outing, a change atop the QB depth chart could be forthcoming.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports the Vikings are “taking a long look” at replacing Mullens and starting rookie Jaren Hall. The former has started the past two games since taking over from Josh Dobbs late in Minnesota’s 3-0 win over the Raiders. Mullens has amassed 714 passing yards over that stretch, but he has also thrown six interceptions while fumbling twice. The Vikings lost both of his starts, leaving the team out of contention for the NFC North title.

Sitting at 7-8, a wild-card spot is still in reach, however, so Minnesota’s decision under center in the bid to find a consistent Kirk Cousins replacement will be crucial to close out the season. Dobbs enjoyed a strong start to his Vikings tenure after arriving at the trade deadline, but he later struggled. That opened the door to Mullens taking over, and ESPN’s Kevin Seifert noted in the aftermath of Saturday’s loss that the 28-year-old appeared to still be in place to get the nod for Week 17.

Mullens has the most career starts amongst Minnesota’s healthy options under center, and he began the season as Cousins’ backup. When announcing that the former UDFA would be in place for Week 16, head coach Kevin O’Connell stressed the importance of not being unnecessarily aggressive, a challenge Mullens failed to meet. As a result, it would not come as a complete surprise if the team turned to Hall for his second career start despite the late-season circumstances.

Hall was drafted in the fifth round this April, the time when many believed the Vikings would add an heir apparent to Cousins given the latter’s status as a pending free agent. Amidst the inconsistencies at the QB position since Cousins tore his Achilles, Hall received a start in the first game after Cousins went down, but he suffered a concussion. As a result, he has attempted a total of just 10 passes in the regular season to date.

The Vikings have a game against the Packers and a rematch with the Lions remaining on their schedule. Winning both will be critical to their postseason outlook, but the question of who will be in place under center for those contests will be a key question in the coming days.

Vikings To Start Nick Mullens In Week 15

December 14th, 2023 at 1:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

DECEMBER 14: Dobbs will make a Zach Wilson-like drop on the Vikings’ depth chart. After consideration, O’Connell said Hall will be Mullens’ backup against the Bengals on Saturday. Dobbs will act as Minnesota’s emergency quarterback. Hall will reclaim the QB2 job he held near the season’s midpoint, when Mullens’ IR stay moved the BYU product behind Cousins.

A third-string role is not unusual for Dobbs, who worked in this capacity in Pittsburgh for a bit. But he spent much of last season as Jacoby Brissett‘s Browns backup, finishing the year as the Titans’ emergency starter. The latter run put Dobbs in line to back up Deshaun Watson this season. After both his 2023 trades, Dobbs ended up as a starter. After eight Cardinals starts and four with the Vikes, he will take a seat for the time being. Additionally, the Vikings ruled out starting running back Alexander Mattison due to an ankle sprain.

DECEMBER 12: The Vikings, who entered this season with one of the most durable quarterbacks in NFL history, will soon match the Browns for QB1 volume. Minnesota is set to start Nick Mullens in Week 15, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero.

Mullens replaced Josh Dobbs in the Vikings’ 3-0 win over the Raiders. While Dobbs fared well when called upon shortly after the midseason trade, he has struggled in recent weeks. Mullens has been with the Vikings since the team added him just before the 2022 season.

Minnesota will go from Kirk Cousins to Jaren Hall to Dobbs to Mullens as its starting quarterbacks this season. The team turned to Dobbs initially due to a Hall concussion and Mullens residing on IR. The team activated the former 49ers UDFA from IR last month, and he will suddenly become a key factor in the NFC playoff race.

A Southern Miss product Kyle Shanahan once used as San Francisco’s primary starter after Jimmy Garoppolo‘s 2018 ACL tear, Mullens has 17 starts under his belt. He has not started a game since 2021, which came about due to both Baker Mayfield and Case Keenum residing in the COVID-19 protocol that December. Mullens, however, made eight starts in both the 2018 and ’20 seasons.

Just before waiving Kellen Mond in August 2022, the Vikings acquired Mullens from the Raiders to back up Cousins. The team re-signed the reserve arm to a two-year, $4MM deal this offseason. That AAV checked in south of many QB2 contracts this offseason, but the Vikings had not needed to worry about an injury to their starting quarterback since Sam Bradford went down in September 2017. Cousins had never missed a game due to injury in his career prior to the Achilles tear he suffered in October. With Mullens already on IR with a back injury, the team trotted out Hall. But it backstopped the fifth-round rookie with Dobbs, acquired from the Cardinals in a deadline-day pick-swap trade.

Following Dobbs’ four-INT showing in a Week 12 loss to the Bears, Kevin O’Connell said the team would revisit its QB hierarchy during the bye week. With Justin Jefferson coming back in Week 14, the Vikings chose to give Dobbs another chance. Amid the only 3-0 game played indoors in NFL history, O’Connell yanked Dobbs and called in Mullens, whose 9-for-13 showing helped the team escape Las Vegas with a game-winning field goal. The Vikings have not decided if Dobbs or Hall will be Mullens’ backup against the Bengals on Saturday, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com notes.

Mullens, 28, holds a career 65.4% completion rate. Finishing with an impressive 8.3 yards per attempt as a rookie, Mullens carries a career 7.7 mark in that category. Being at the controls for George Kittle‘s then-record season for tight end receiving yards, Mullens has thrown 27 career touchdown passes compared to 23 interceptions. The Vikings will see how viable the sixth-year vet is outside of Shanahan’s system, though O’Connell’s is also derived from the Shanahans/Gary Kubiak family. The Vikes will Mullens the keys as they attempt to either hold onto wild-card real estate or eclipse the Lions in the NFC North.

Vikings To Start Josh Dobbs In Week 14

December 6th, 2023 at 12:06pm CST by Adam La Rose

DECEMBER 6: As expected, Dobbs will once again get the call for Minnesota. Despite his four-interception performance in an ugly home loss to the Bears, the trade pickup will make a fourth start for the Vikings. Dobbs, who entered this season with two starts in six years, has started all but one of his teams’ games this season. This will be the recent Kyler Murray stopgap’s 12th 2023 start.

The back injury that sent Mullens to IR factored into the Vikes’ decision-making, per ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert, who adds O’Connell wants the to develop Hall in an “orderly fashion.” The Vikes evidently do not want the rookie fifth-rounder yo-yoing between starter and backup.

DECEMBER 2: The Vikings have a quarterback decision to make during their bye week. While head coach Kevin O’Connell has left the door open to a change under center, it would not come as a surprise for Josh Dobbs to at least temporarily retain his starting role.

Dobbs was brought in via trade in response to Kirk Cousins‘ Achilles tear. The former was not expected to immediately see playing time, but a concussion suffered by rookie Jaren Hall forced Dobbs into action. He has held the No. 1 role since then due to his surprising level of play in his first two starts (which were victories), as well as the absence of Nick Mullens.

All three passers are now healthy, however, and Dobbs’ play has taken a turn for the worse over the past two contests. Turnovers played a major factor in the Vikings’ narrow losses to the Broncos and Bears, and the bye week would represent a logical time to make a switch. O’Connell said earlier this week an evaluation will be conducted during Minnesota’s time off to determine the team’s starter for at least Week 14.

Plenty is yet to be decided on that front, but Dianna Russini of the Athletic writes Dobbs is in position to get the nod as things currently stand (subscription required). A similar sentiment is expressed by Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, who adds practice reps in the coming week will be crucial in making a final call. With Justin Jefferson set to return in Week 14, all three quarterbacks are in line to practice with the reigning Offensive Player of the Year to adapt to the offense with him in the lineup.

“We’re going to make sure that whoever’s playing quarterback is aware and understands the intent behind plays, where either Justin is the primary [receiver] or based upon coverage, based upon the defensive look, how to quickly and efficiently get to the right place to go with the football,” O’Connell said, via Goessling.

Sitting at 6-6, the Vikings are firmly within the NFC Wild-Card race despite Cousins being lost for the year. There will thus be plenty at stake for the stretch run and specifically for whichever passer lands the No. 1 job to close out the season. Dobbs may have the inside track for the time being, but the in-season competition set to take place in the coming days will be worth watching closely.

Vikings To Consider QB Change During Bye Week

November 28th, 2023 at 9:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

Josh Dobbs endured his worst performance during his brief time with the Vikings during last night’s loss, and it remains to be seen if he will remain atop the quarterback depth chart after the team’s bye week. Head coach Kevin O’Connell acknowledged changes could be made ahead of Minnesota’s next game.

Dobbs was acquired at the trade deadline to provide depth in the wake of Kirk Cousins‘ Achilles tear. Fifth-round rookie Jaren Hall was initially set to take over starting duties, but his own injury thrust Dobbs into the lineup days after arriving with the team. The Vikings enjoyed early success with the latter in place, but he threw four interceptions in Week 12, bringing him to a total of eight turnovers in his four Minnesota appearances. Dobbs nearly received the hook yesterday, O’Connell said (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert).

Hall has cleared concussion protocol, while Nick Mullens – initially in place as Cousins’ backup to start the season – has come off injured reserve. As a result, O’Connell will have multiple options to choose from during his evaluation of the QB situation over the team’s week off. Sitting at 6-6 on the year, the chances of a push for a wild-card spot need to be taken into account along with the upside of giving Hall developmental reps down the stretch.

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

Dobbs and Mullens have similar levels of regular season experience and they have each bounced around to several teams in their respective careers. The latter has far more familiarity with O’Connell’s system, though, having been in Minnesota since 2022. On the other hand, Hall was drafted this past spring in the team’s only move to add a potential Cousins successor, so giving him an extended look could carry signficant importance for 2024 and beyond.

Cousins is set to hit free agency this offseason, though he and the team have expressed a desire to continue their relationship. While that situation will be a central one for the Vikings, their more immediate future under center is also uncertain as the stretch run looms.

Vikings To Start Josh Dobbs In Week 10; Jaren Hall In Concussion Protocol

November 6th, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

The start of the Kirk Cousins-less schedule did not go as planned for the Vikings, with rookie quarterback Jaren Hall leaving his debut due to a concussion. His replacement fared well, though, and he has earned a start as a result.

Josh Dobbs – who was thrust into action days after arriving with the Vikings because of Hall’s injury – led his new team to a dramatic comeback victory. Dobbs threw a touchdown in the final minute of play to help Minnesota earn a 31-28 win, and his performance will see him take first-team reps in practice this week. Head coach Kevin O’Connell named Dobbs the team’s projected Week 10 starter on Monday.

As NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero notes, Hall is in concussion protocol, which threatens his availability for the team’s upcoming game against the Saints. With fellow depth option Nick Mullens on IR, it comes as no surprise that Minnesota will turn to Dobbs at the top of the re-arranged QB depth chart. Cousins’ Achilles tear has left the team in need of a bridge starter to close out the season.

That unfortunate turn appeared to give Hall a chance to receive valuable in-game action to help his own development and the Vikings’ evaluation of a potential Cousins successor. The latter is set to have his contract expire this offseason, and it remains to be seen if a new deal will be worked out in the coming months. A fifth-rounder out of BYU, Hall has managed only 22 snaps between the end of Week 8 and the beginning of yesterday’s contest, however.

Cousins’ injury led to Minnesota’s decision to add an experienced insurance policy under center, which took the form of the Dobbs acquisition. The latter started eight games with the Cardinals in the absence of Kyler Murray this season, arriving in the desert after being dealt away by the Browns in a deal which came about rather suddenly. Having developed a knack for playing on extremely short notice dating back to his Titans cameo last season, Dobbs will find himself in familiar territory next week when he starts his first Vikings game. It will be interesting to see how he performs against New Orleans and how Minnesota handles the QB spot once Hall is cleared.

Cardinals To Trade QB Josh Dobbs To Vikings

October 31st, 2023 at 1:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

1:33pm: The Vikings are preparing Hall for the Week 9 start, Kevin O’Connell said (via the Associated Press’ Rob Maaddi). Dobbs suiting up is possible, per O’Connell. Dobbs has a history of being ready on short notice, having started barely a week after the Titans signed him off the Lions’ practice squad.

12:38pm: For the second time this year, Josh Dobbs will be traded. A day after Jonathan Gannon indicated it will be Kyler Murray or Clayton Tune starting for the Cardinals in Week 9, the team will unload Dobbs.

The Vikings, who lost Kirk Cousins for the season in Week 8, will bring in the veteran backup/spot starter, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com report. The Cardinals had acquired Dobbs, 28, from the Browns in late August; he will now join a QB room featuring two injured players. Cousins’ Week 1 backup, Nick Mullens, is also on IR. This comes two days after Gannon said Dobbs would start against the Browns, pointing to the Week 9 benching being driven by these trade talks.

Arizona will send Dobbs and a seventh-round pick to Minnesota for a sixth-rounder, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. Conditions are included that can turn the seventh-round pick the Vikings are receiving into a sixth, per Schefter. This will amount to a flier for the Vikings, who have not previously needed to deal with an injury absence in their six seasons with Cousins.

While this might not satisfy Vikings fans eager for a higher-profile name, Dobbs will come to the Twin Cities with eight 2023 starts under his belt. After being expected to trot out Colt McCoy while Murray finished his recovery from a December 2022 ACL tear, the Cardinals instead plugged in Dobbs. The team delivered some surprisingly competitive efforts, but it has fallen to 1-7. Tune is expected to start for Arizona in Week 9, with Murray moving close to a return.

On the season, Dobbs has completed 62.8% of his passes (at just 5.9 yards per attempt) and has thrown eight touchdown passes compared to five interceptions. Not exactly equipped with a high-end skill-position corps, Dobbs also came to the desert barely two weeks before the season. The Browns had planned to use Dobbs as their backup, but they viewed fifth-round rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson has having made enough progress. Cleveland quickly benched Thompson-Robinson for practice squad pickup P.J. Walker, who has become Deshaun Watson‘s top backup.

The Vikings turned to fifth-round draftee Jaren Hall as Cousins’ emergency replacement, but they now have some options. The team has used Sean Mannion as Cousins’ backup in multiple seasons; Mannion is back on the Vikes’ practice squad. Hall and Mannion had loomed as the team’s top healthy options, but Mullens is expected to come off IR at some point. A back injury moved Mullens to IR earlier this month. Mullens can return after one more missed game.

For his career, Dobbs has made 10 starts. His teams are 1-9 in those games. Granted, Dobbs has not been thrust into good situations when asked to start. His initial two starts came for an injury-riddled Titans team last season, and while the former Steelers draftee showed better form compared to Malik Willis last season, Tennessee still lost both his starts. The noted rocket scientist engineered an upset win over the Cowboys earlier this season, but the Cardinals have lost their past five games. Murray is also believed to be fully healthy and ready to return. With Tune in place as a possible long-term backup, the Cards did not have a clear role for Dobbs.

Loosely connected to Jacoby Brissett — whom Dobbs backed up during his 2022 Cleveland stopover — the Vikings are not necessarily ruled out from another starter option. Carson Wentz remains available, and Matt Ryan contacted the Jets after Aaron Rodgers‘ injury. Tom Brady has unretiring experience, though the QB icon was viewed as a nonstarter for the Jets in September. But the Dobbs move does almost definitely close the book on any other QB additions via trade for the 4-4 Vikings.

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/12/23

May 12th, 2023 at 9:09pm CST by Ely Allen

Rookie minicamps started today and more rookies put the names on the dotted line of their four-year contracts. Here are the mid- to late-round picks who signed today:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Washington Commanders

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