The Lions moved fast to stabilize their quarterback room, bringing in veteran Josh Dobbs on Sunday after Teddy Bridgewater stepped away from the team.
Detroit had to fill that backup spot behind Jared Goff, and Dobbs is the answer. The one-year deal is worth $1.425 million with $475,000 guaranteed, according to NFL Insider Mike Garafolo. He now slots in as the No. 2 quarterback, with undrafted free agent Luke Altmyer next on the depth chart.
The timing matters. The Lions open preseason play Thursday, and Dobbs could be pushed to catch up quickly so the team can lighten Altmyer’s workload. Goff will not play in that game.
Before landing in Detroit, the Lions also worked out former New Orleans Saints quarterback Jake Haener and UFL MVP Jack Plummer, but Dobbs ended up being the choice.
For Dobbs, this is another stop in a career that has taken him all over the league. Pittsburgh took him in the fourth round in 2017, and he made his NFL debut in 2018, appearing in five games. He added one more appearance for the Steelers in 2020 before moving through several organizations over the next few seasons.
Detroit is not new territory for him, either. Dobbs spent a brief stretch on the Lions’ practice squad in 2022, and his 2023 season brought him into closer contact with new Detroit offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. That year began in Arizona, where Dobbs worked with Petzing during Petzing’s first season with the Cardinals.
Now the two are reunited in Detroit, and that familiarity with Petzing’s system could help Dobbs settle in quickly.
His 2023 run with the Cardinals was his busiest as a starter. With Kyler Murray recovering from a torn ACL, Dobbs started eight games and went 1-7. When Murray returned, Arizona traded Dobbs to the Minnesota Vikings, who were dealing with the loss of Kirk Cousins.
Minnesota got immediate help. Dobbs entered in relief of Jaren Hall and guided the Vikings to a win in his first appearance against the Atlanta Falcons. He followed that with a win in his first start the next week and finished 2-2 in four starts for Minnesota.
That stretch ended after a rough outing against the Las Vegas Raiders, a game the Vikings still won 3-0, and Dobbs was eventually benched from the role.
He spent the following year with the San Francisco 49ers and then last season with the New England Patriots, where he backed up Drake Maye on the team’s journey to the Super Bowl.
Across his career, Dobbs has appeared in 27 games with 15 starts, throwing for 3,346 yards, 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He has also shown plenty of legs, rushing for 515 yards and eight touchdowns.
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