Every preseason, a handful of players manage to capture America’s hearts, only to fade back into the background once the regular season kicks off. But over the past few years, one name has become almost synonymous with August brilliance: Joshua Dobbs.
Nicknamed “Passtronaut,” Dobbs has carved out a unique niche in the NFL. Now in his seventh year, Dobbs has started just 14 games but continues to be a mainstay in preseason conversations. He shines brightly every summer, before taking up roles as a reserve and practice player during the regular season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Dobbs out of Tennessee in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was immediately thrown into action as the starting quarterback for Pittsburgh’s first preseason game against the New York Giants, kicking off what would become a series of iconic preseason performances.
Initially, Dobbs stayed on the Steelers’ roster as the third-string quarterback, nestled behind Ben Roethlisberger and his longtime backup, Landry Jones. In 2018, he had to step in for Roethlisberger, and the following season saw him with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
His journey has since taken him through the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers again, the Detroit Lions, the Tennessee Titans, back to the Browns, the Arizona Cardinals, the Minnesota Vikings, and now, the San Francisco 49ers. And yet, no matter the team, Dobbs continues to shine in the preseason.
In fact, Dobbs was so good for the Browns during the 2023 preseason that they traded him to the Arizona Cardinals for a fifth-round pick — a testament to his dominant performances this time of year.
Called into duty by the Cardinals out of sheer necessity when they lost Kyler Murray, Dobbs was traded to the Vikings last October, stepping in to replace Kirk Cousins almost immediately.
When the chips are down and the opportunity arises, Dobbs consistently finds a way to rise to the occasion and shine. This offseason, he inked a one-year, $2.25 million deal with the 49ers and is currently battling Brandon Allen for the backup quarterback position.
Allen, who served as Brock Purdy’s backup last year, is facing stiff competition from Dobbs, whose preseason brilliance has once again put him in the spotlight. It’s hard for Kyle Shanahan and the Niners’ front office to ignore what Dobbs can do with his legs and the excitement his athleticism brings to the offense. He offers a complete change of pace from Purdy.
It’s truly impressive how hard Dobbs continues to work to secure these backup quarterback roles. If a team has to deploy him for multiple games, it’s usually a sign of trouble. Yet, Dobbs remains one of the greatest preseason heroes of our time and undoubtedly deserves recognition for giving us something to talk about during these otherwise uneventful games.
