Joshua Dobbs could be the best NFL preseason quarterback of all time
November 27, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs (15) warms up before the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium. Photo credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports Every preseason, a few players capture the hearts of America for a few weeks before slipping back into obscurity.
In recent years, Joshua Dobbs has been an important part of this discussion.
Now in the league for seven years and having started just 14 games, the Passtronaut is a preseason icon who shines every August, only to bounce between teams as a reserve and practice squad player during the regular season.
The Steelers selected Dobbs from Tennessee in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
He was immediately named the starting quarterback for Pittsburgh’s season opener against the New York Giants, and that game marked the beginning of a legendary stretch of great preseason play.
Dobbs remained on Pittsburgh’s roster as the third quarterback behind Ben Roethlisberger’s longtime backup Landry Jones. In 2018, Dobbs actually had to step in for Roethlisberger and played the next season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
He then moved to the Cleveland Browns, then to the Steelers, Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans, again to the Browns, Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings and now to the San Francisco 49ers, where Dobbs has once again shown great talent in the preseason.
Dobbs was so good for the Browns in the 2023 preseason that They were able to sell him to the Arizona Cardinals for a fifth-round pick. A player the Browns signed as a free agent was traded for a fifth-round pick after just a few preseason games.
That’s how dominant he is at this time of year.
Dobbs began the season for the Cardinals out of sheer desperation when they lost Kyler Murray for the season. The struggling Cardinals traded Dobbs to the Minnesota Vikings in October of last year and he immediately stepped in for Kirk Cousins.
When the opportunity presents itself, Dobbs finds a way to rise to the occasion and shine.
He signed a one-year contract worth $2.25 million to join the San Francisco 49ers this offseason, and he is currently fighting with Brandon Allen for the job of backup quarterback.
Allen was the backup to Brock Purdy last year, but Dobbs is shining again in the preseason. It will be hard for Kyle Shanahan and the Niners leadership to ignore what Dobbs can do with his legs and how much excitement his athleticism brings to the offense. Compared to Purdy, it’s a complete change of pace.
It’s crazy how hard Dobbs has to work to earn those backup quarterback jobs. If he has to start a lot of games, your team is probably in serious trouble. However, he is one of the greatest preseason heroes of our time and deserves to be rewarded for giving us something to talk about in the midst of these otherwise boring games.