Minnesota Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs has one of the most intriguing stories in all of sports this year. Dobbs has thrived during his brief time with the Vikings after being traded by the Arizona Cardinals, throwing for 426 yards and three touchdowns while keeping the team's postseason hopes alive with back-to-back wins in his first two starts.
The Vikings quarterback also might have made a fan for life when Dobbs gifted a young fan with alopecia an autographed jersey earlier this week.
Gregory got a package in the mail today from the Minnesota Vikings and Josh Dobbs (opening video and pics below!).
— GL’s Hobby Account (@GL_HobbyAccount) November 15, 2023
He is extremely grateful and wrote a thank you message!
Thank you for making his day!@josh_dobbs1 @Vikings @NFL @ScottVikings #AlopeciaAwareness #SKOL pic.twitter.com/iKBx4CuBUQ
Gregory, 7, was diagnosed with alopecia when he was just one year old. His father, Greg, told The New York Post that his son has been following Dobbs' career since he was with the Cleveland Browns and Cardinals.
The seven-year-old, who currently lives in New Jersey, has a paternal grandfather who is a huge Vikings fan. The stars ended up aligning when Dobbs, who also suffers from alopecia, was traded to the Vikings after Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.
"Gregory has absorbed some of that and has been a big Justin Jefferson and Vikes fan [the] last few years," Gregory's father told The New York Post. "So when Dobbs was traded after the Kirk Cousins injury it was a perfect storm."
Following the trade, Greg noticed that a Vikings Fanatics representative was filling the official team store with Dobbs and wanted to get one for his son. The only issue was that the jersey wasn't available online just yet, so Greg got in touch with a Vikings merchandise manager who ended up sending Gregory a unique care package that featured the signed jersey.
"It gives hope," Greg added. "[Gregory] struggles at times, very shy. But seeing someone succeed at the highest level and embracing the alopecia, I can only imagine what that does for Greg on the inside."
Dobbs has been the hottest story around the NFL since he was forced to play for the Vikings just days after being traded to the team. Quarterback Jaren Hall suffered a concussion during a game against the Atlanta Falcons two weeks ago, and Dobbs has been the team's starting quarterback ever since.
