Like many NFL fans, you may find yourself asking, "Who is Josh Dobbs?"
You are not alone. Dobbs was a fourth-round pick in 2017 by the Steelers, out of Tennessee. He did not play a single snap in 2019 or 2021, and prior to this season had thrown a grand total of 85 passes in his career. The Cardinals made him the starter in 2023, with Kyler Murray sidelined with an injury.
Despite starting 1-7 on the season, Dobbs' play was actually not bad at all. He completed 63 percent of his passes with 8 touchdowns to just 5 interceptions. Definitely the stats of a game manager, but there are quite a few teams who would like their quarterback to not try and do too much, and just keep them in every game.
One of those teams was the Minnesota Vikings when their starting quarterback, and the quintessential game manager, Kirk Cousins was injured and ruled out for the season. With Kyler Murray ready to return, the Cardinals sent Dobbs to Minnesota for a sixth- and seventh-round pick swap.
Since then, he's gone 2-0 for the Vikings, with a 67 percent completion, with three touchdowns, and has yet to throw a pick. It could be argued that he is the feel-good story of the 2023 season. At the end of 2023, he will become a free agent, and should the Vikings choose to pivot and move on from him, here are three teams that would greatly benefit from having Dobbs as their 2024 starting quarterback.
3. Atlanta Falcons
The Dirty Birds have some really nice pieces on offense. Wide receiver Drake London, tight end Kyle Pitts, and running back Bijon Robinson are each cornerstone pieces, and the team has yet to find a quarterback that could glue all the pieces together.
Desmond Ridder started the season for Atlanta, Through eight games he was 4-4 with 6 touchdowns to 6 interceptions. A 50/50 quarterback makes for a .500 team, and that just won't get it done. Not even in the lowly NFC South.
Tyler Heinike got his chance and went 0-2 while completing just 55 percent of his passes. There is no viable option on the roster to take snaps, and all the team can do is look towards next year. They likely won't end up in a position to draft one of the top QBs in this draft, so the answer will have to be found in free agency, where the team will have close to $40 million in cap space.
Enter Dobbs, who will probably come with an AAV of around $15 million. He can step in right now and get the Falcons to the playoffs, and maybe even deep in the playoffs depending on what the team does with its defense.
2. Washington Commanders
Every time the Commanders are on TV, the announcers will repeatedly mention Ron Rivera's confidence in Sam Howell. Unfortunately for Howell, River Ron will likely not be the head coach in 2024. A new regime will need a new quarterback, and they need look no further than Josh Dobbs.
Washington has always fared best with game managers at the helm, such as Alex Smith. They boast a solid running game and a decent defense, and they need a quarterback who won't try to do too much and is good enough to do the right amount. When considering Dobbs' background and education, he should have no issues quickly learning Eric Bienemy's playbook.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
Going back to the team that drafted him seems like the perfect next chapter in Josh Dobbs' storybook. Kenny Pickett has just an 81.1 passer rating this season, and the team feels like they've seen enough. Every year the black and yellow sport one of the league's best defenses, and they have a young established running back in Najee Harris.
What they need is a quarterback who can hand the ball off, complete passes off of play-action, and win games by not losing them. The issue they will have is being over the cap in 2024, so will need some creative contract renegotiations to get the funds to sign Dobbs.
Money not being an issue though, he is the perfect quarterback to take the team back to AFC relevance, and possibly get them to a Super Bowl.
