By Marvin Moore October 5, 2023
Since being drafted in the fourth round seven years ago, journeyman quarterback Joshua Dobbs has suited up for six different teams, including two stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. He is living proof that so-called NFL experts are not experts at all.
Dobbs led the University of Tennessee to back-to-back 9-4 seasons and was the seventh quarterback taken in the 2017 NFL Draft. Although Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson have become franchise signal-callers, Dobbs has proven more competent than Mitchell Trubisky, DeShone Kizer, Davis Webb, and C. J. Beathard. Go figure.
An intelligent player with an aerospace engineering degree, Dobbs hopes to be a pilot one day and travel to outer space. But for now, he is turning heads as the starting quarterback for a young Arizona Cardinals squad.
Dobbs won the backup job behind Watson in training camp before the Browns shipped him off to the Cardinals. He has been traded twice and waived several times despite impressive play in limited action. In his first NFL career start last year, Dobbs completed 20-of-39 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown in a loss against a stout Dallas Cowboys defense. But in a rematch this season, Dobbs had a breakout game.
The 28-year-old completed 17-of-21 passes for 189 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 55 yards to lead the Cardinals to an upset win over the previously unbeaten Cowboys. Dallas, which had won 15 consecutive games when favored by 11 or more points, suffered its worst upset loss in 17 years.
Deemed a backup quarterback by NFL talent evaluators, Dobbs is a bonafide starting quarterback who only received two emergency starting assignments since being drafted until this season. A strong-armed field general who finished his collegiate career as Tennessee’s No. 7 all-time leading rusher, the dual-threat quarterback has shined as the main man in the desert.
Dobbs has completed 70.7% of his passes to rank seventh in the league, and his 99.4 Quarterback Rating is 10th best. He has thrown four touchdowns and no interceptions in over 120 throws, and he has more rushing yards than All-Pro quarterback Jalen Hurts.
What’s impressive about Dobbs is that he has posted productive numbers against two of the league’s elite defenses, the Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. He has completed 45-of-63 passes for 454 yards and three scoring passes against the NFC top dawgs and has added 103 yards on the ground.
In the game against the unbeaten 49ers, Dobbs orchestrated an 11-play, 99-yard drive to cut San Francisco’s lead to 21-16. It was the first time in over 20 years that the 49ers defense had surrendered a 99-yard touchdown drive.
The Cardinals are undergoing a major rebuild and were expected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL this season. But despite playing on a youthful roster with very few established players, Dobbs and Arizona are just nine points shy of being 3-1 instead of 1-3.
The 2016 Music City Bowl MVP’s time as the starting quarterback will end when Kyler Murray returns sometime this season. But the passtronaut has signaled to the rest of the league that he is more than just a backup quarterback. He is a patient guy who enjoys making the most of opportunities.
While some quarterbacks like Trubisky, Zach Wilson, and countless others get opportunity after opportunity to showcase their skills, Dobbs had to wait six years for his first NFL start and seven years for a starting gig – albeit temporarily. But like his plans to fly to space in the future, Dobbs doesn’t mind waiting.
“That’s obviously a goal down the road. I’ve been able to create amazing connections in that field, the engineering world. But yeah, you know, focus on ball now. And then when that day comes, you know, we’ll make the most of the opportunity.”
Dobbs is living proof that NFL general managers are biased and sometimes clueless when evaluating talent. Just look at the quarterbacks taken ahead of Dobbs if you need more evidence.
