Since he was drafted back in 2017, Josh Dobbs has spent a whole lot of time bouncing around the NFL.
He spent the first year of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He got traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but never appeared in a game for them. The Jaguars waived him, then he re-signed with the Steelers. He signed with the Browns, then got waived. He caught on with the Detroit Lions practice squad. Then he signed with the Titans for a brief stint and made two short-notice starts.
Then it was back to the Browns, followed by a trade to the Cardinals, where he finally got a chance to start for an extended stretch. He acquitted himself fairly well and got traded to the Vikings, where he again started on short notice but eventually was benched. Earlier this offseason, he signed with the San Francisco 49ers to back up Brock Purdy.
During an appearance on The Adam Schefter Podcast, Dobbs explained why he chose to sign with San Francisco.
"So when free agency came, the opportunities that were presented -- the biggest thing that I wanted, as I said, was to get to a place that has a consistent front office, consistent coaching staff, and does a really good job of QB development, and have an opportunity to go through a full offseason in one scheme," he said. "Get in there in April, and even though I'm still learning, and it will be learning a new offense, but it's an offense that's obviously very prominent throughout the league.
"And so to be able to get there in April and be around some tremendous coaches and learn the offense from the bare bones of it, and throw routes on air, and build those interpersonal opportunities with teammates. And then be able to go into the season and whatever the role looks like in the room -- obviously, Brock is balling, and what they did, coming up two times short in the Super Bowl the last four years is amazing. But to be a part of that culture, in that franchise, I'm really excited."
Dobbs also said that he is specifically excited to work with Purdy.
"At the end of the day, he wins football games and he plays efficient football," Dobbs said. "That's all you can ask for. So that's what I'm most excited about, just being able to obviously provide my perspective on what I've learned throughout the league and be able to assume whatever role that looks like this upcoming year. But to be around that and that coaching and that type of player and that type of room and that consistency, I think it'd be really good for me, and I'm excited to see what I'll be able to add and help the team with for this upcoming year."
The Niners previously had Jimmy Garoppolo, Trey Lance, and then Sam Darnold in the quarterback room with Purdy, so they have had players at all different stages of their careers working alongside him. Dobbs has shown that he has enough upside to be a fill-in starter when his team needs it, and that's really the best thing you can ask of a backup. The best-case scenario for the team is that he doesn't have to play, but his skill set is one that can help a team compete if the starter goes down. That's something a contending team like the Niners needs.
