Josh Dobbs is getting the nod for the Detroit Lions’ preseason matchup with the Washington Commanders on Saturday, Aug. 22, even though he’s had a fairly light camp since signing with the team on Aug. 9.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said Thursday in Allen Park that Dobbs and undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer are expected to split the workload almost evenly in the game. Jared Goff, meanwhile, will sit out. Goff has not appeared in the preseason since 2022.
Altmyer has handled most of the backup quarterback reps this summer after Teddy Bridgewater’s unexpected retirement at the start of camp. That shift opened the door for Dobbs to join the mix late, but he has only been sprinkled into team drills this week after playing just three second-quarter series in last week’s exhibition loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Campbell said the backup quarterback battle is still alive between Altmyer and Dobbs. Altmyer completed 13 of 22 passes for 130 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions and a fumble against the Commanders.
Dobbs, 31, has now played for nine teams across 10 NFL seasons. This is his second stint with the Lions and his third with first-year offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. The two previously worked together with the Arizona Cardinals in 2023, when Dobbs went 1-7 as Petzing’s starter, and they also spent one season together with the Cleveland Browns.
“Look, Dobbs is a bright guy,” Campbell explained of why Dobbs has had limited reps so far. “He’s played in this league, but also, man, just making sure we got him up to speed, being true to that.
And also, Luke’s a young player but he’s promising and getting him, trying to soak him with reps, so it was just kind of a little bit of that. But we’ll get a look at Dobbs here and let him go.”
Campbell said he liked what the rest of the starters got done in padded practices this week, though he still hasn’t decided which starters will be held out against Washington.
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