A busy day for the Patriots now includes a backup quarterback addition. Josh Dobbs is headed to New England on a two-year deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
This pact has a maximum value of $8MM, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network notes. He adds Dobbs will collect $3.8MM guaranteed. The journeyman will be in position to serve as an experienced backup for Drake Maye moving forward, a role Jacoby Brissett held at the end of the 2024 campaign.
The Patriots will continue Dobbs’ journey around the NFL. While not exactly close to Josh Johnson territory, Dobbs is heading to a ninth NFL team. He comes to New England after a season as San Francisco’s third-string quarterback. Brock Purdy sitting out Week 18 last season did led to a Dobbs start, however, and he impressed. Dobbs completed 29 of 43 passes for 326 yards, two touchdown passes and two interceptions.
While Dobbs dropped a notable performance to close out the season, he was never viewed as likely to re-sign with the 49ers. The team added him last year but bumped 2023 third-stringer Brandon Allen up to QB2, leaving Dobbs — a starter for the Cardinals and Vikings in 2023 — an afterthought until that inconsequential Week 18 game. Dobbs will replace Brissett as Maye’s backup, coming after Brissett had shown pessimism about being back in New England.
Dobbs, 30, has made stops with the Steelers, Jaguars, Browns, Lions and Titans before his three-team 2024. The Titans had used Dobbs as a late-season starter, playing him in front of Malik Willis late in the ’22 season on short notice. The Browns traded Dobbs to the Cardinals just before the 2023 season, and he started eight games for the rebuilding team. Dobbs was needed soon on short notice yet again, as the Vikings turned to him shortly after a deadline-day trade. Dobbs’ Titans tenure is relevant once again, as Mike Vrabel will bring him back despite only coaching him for two games.
For his career, the QB/rocket scientist is a 62.7% passer who has gone 3-12 in starts. A rebuilding Cardinals operation is largely responsible for tanking Dobbs’ win/loss record. He has managed to remain a viable option for several years, moving up from the practice squad level as of late. The Patriots no longer need a Maye bridge, but they will slide Dobbs in behind the prized prospect on their depth chart.
As Dobbs will settle in as the Pats’ QB2, the team is interested in seeing what it could land for Joe Milton. The cannon-armed passer, who started for Maye in Week 18, is coming up in trades, per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. While the Patriots are high on the 2024 sixth-round pick, Maye is the team’s unquestioned starter and Dobbs is now on track to back him up. Three years remain on the Tennessee prospect’s rookie contract, and the Patriots have discussed him with teams already.
Adam La Rose contributed to this report.