Jaren Hall could get another shot at starting for the Vikings
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters on Monday that he’s considering a quarterback switch
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John Bazemore, Associated Press
Former BYU quarterback Jaren Hall could soon be back in the starting lineup for the Minnesota Vikings, according to Kevin O’Connell, the team’s head coach.
After the team’s 12-10 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday night, O’Connell said he’d use the upcoming bye week to consider a quarterback switch.
“We got Jaren (Hall) back available to us, and then Nick Mullens is available as well,” he said, according to Adam Schefter, ESPN’s senior NFL insider.
Who will start for the Vikings?
Hall previously started for the Vikings on Nov. 5, one week after quarterback Kirk Cousins was lost for the season due to a torn Achilles.
Hall completed 5 of 6 passes for 78 yards before exiting the game with a concussion, as the Deseret News reported at the time.
Quarterback Josh Dobbs, whom the Vikings traded for after Cousins’ injury, came in for the injured Hall and led his new team to victory. Dobbs earned praise from across the league for playing so well with almost no preparation.
The Vikings won again the next week with Dobbs under center, which seemingly cemented the quarterback’s place in the starting lineup. But then came losses against the Denver Broncos and Bears.
In Monday night’s loss, Dobbs threw four interceptions and generally failed to help the offense find its stride.
“We’re going to take a look and really evaluate the inventory of plays we have of Josh,” O’Connell said after the game, according to Schefter.
Rookie quarterback record
Although his first start for the Vikings was cut short, Hall claimed a piece of NFL history just by taking the field.
With that Nov. 5 game, Hall joined a large group of rookie quarterbacks to have started an NFL game this season. When Tommy DeVito of the New York Giants became the 10th rookie starter on Nov. 12, the group set a single-season record for rookie QB starts, as the Deseret News previously reported.
Before being drafted by the Vikings last April, Hall spent two years as BYU’s starting quarterback. He also played high school football in Utah at Maple Mountain High in Spanish Fork.
The Vikings next play on Sunday, Dec. 10, against the Las Vegas Raiders.
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