Tag: Dobbs

Browns quarterback Josh Dobbs warms up before playing the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022 in Cleveland.

Reports: 49ers sign QB Joshua Dobbs to 1-year deal

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The San Francisco 49ers have a new backup quarterback, signing veteran journeyman Joshua Dobbs on Monday.

Dobbs and the Niners agreed to a one-year contract for $2.25 million with another $750,000 in playing-time incentives, NFL Network and ESPN reported.

Dobbs is projected to be the No. 2 behind Brock Purdy after Sam Darnold left for the Minnesota Vikings in free agency.

Dobbs, 29, is coming off a unique season that saw him traded twice and make more starts than he ever had in his NFL career.

The Cleveland Browns dealt Dobbs to the Arizona Cardinals at the end of training camp while the latter was still waiting on Kyler Murray to return from injury. Dobbs started eight games there, going 1-7, before the Vikings acquired him before the trade deadline after Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles.

Dobbs subbed in for an injured Jaren Hall in his first game with Minnesota and guided the Vikings to a 31-28 comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons. He ended up being the starter for four additional games, going 2-2.

Across those 13 games (12 starts), Dobbs threw for 2,464 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He had two starts at the end of the 2022 season for the Tennessee Titans, the first two of his career.

–Field Level Media

Dec 31, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens (12) drops back to pass against the Green Bay Packers in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Vikings need miracle, turn back to Nick Mullens at QB

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Minnesota Vikings need a slew of things to happen in order to qualify for the playoffs and it begins with beating the Detroit Lions this week, an outcome they are turning back to quarterback Nick Mullens to accomplish.

It’s the fifth change at starting quarterback that Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has made since losing Kirk Cousins to a season-ending Achilles injury on Oct. 29.

Mullens replaces rookie Jaren Hall, who replaced Mullens as the starter last week before being benched in favor of Mullens at halftime of the team’s 33-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Mullens is 0-2 as the starter since Cousins went down. He’s thrown five touchdowns against six interceptions this season, including four in the Vikes’ first game against Detroit on Dec. 24.

“Nick has been very effective moving the team,” O’Connell said Wednesday. “We’ve been very explosive as an offense when he’s been in there. Nick knows the one area that we must focus on is possession of the football and not giving the football away.”

Mullens threw for 113 yards and a touchdown in relief of Hall last week. O’Connell did not name a primary backup vs. the Lions, saying they’re still “working through that.”

Mullens will draw Detroit’s starters. The Lions (11-5) have a slim shot at the No. 2 seed in the NFC and will not be resting starters at home against the Vikings, coach Dan Campbell said earlier this week.

Meanwhile, the Vikings (7-9) need to win and the following to happen in Week 18:

–Cardinals beat Seahawks;
–Bears beat Packers;
–Panthers beat Buccaneers or Falcons beat Saints

Joshua Dobbs went 2-2 as the starter after Cousins went down, throwing five TDs and five INTs in five games overall.

–Field Level Media

Dec 10, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens (12) celebrates after the game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Vikings demote Josh Dobbs, QB Nick Mullens to start Saturday

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Nick Mullens was named starting quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings, giving the playoff-pursuing contender a fourth QB1 in 14 games this season.

Josh Dobbs was benched in the fourth quarter at Las Vegas in favor of Mullens, who helped steer Minnesota to a 3-0 win over the Raiders.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell had refused to name a starting quarterback on Monday but on Tuesday shared his decision to elevate Mullens to the starting role for Saturday’s game in Cincinnati.

At 7-6, the Vikings and Bengals are both in the hunt for the playoffs without their planned No. 1 quarterbacks.

Mullens isn’t new to the role. He has 17 career starts — 16 with the 49ers from 2018-2020 and one in 2021 with the Browns — but was injured when the Vikings lost Kirk Cousins to a season-ending injury in Week 8. That led Minnesota to start rookie Jaren Hall, who was knocked out of the game with a concussion, prompting the Vikings to insert Dobbs.

Mullens completed 9 of 13 passes for 83 yards last week at Las Vegas and generated the Vikings’ only points in the game. Dobbs was 10-of-23 passing for 63 and was sacked five times by the Raiders before being benched.

It was the second straight rough outing for Dobbs. He was intercepted four times Nov. 27 in a 12-10 home loss to the Chicago Bears, prompting O’Connell to review the pecking order at the position during the team’s bye week.

Dobbs is likely to be the third quarterback at Cincinnati with Hall elevated to No. 2, but O’Connell said the team was still setting the depth chart.

The Bengals have won back-to-back games with Jake Browning at quarterback in place of Joe Burrow, who is on injured reserve.

Minnesota is 5-2 on the road this season.

–Field Level Media

Nov 27, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs (15) warms up before the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Vikings to review QB options after Joshua Dobbs’ 4-INT night

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs threw four interceptions in a 12-10 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday, throwing open the possibility Minnesota prepares another starter during the upcoming bye week.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell said he considered pulling Dobbs during the loss and turning to Nick Mullens.

He plans to give that option more thought during the bye as the Vikings (6-6) attempt to recover from back-to-back losses by a combined three points.

“We’re going to take a look and really evaluate the inventory of plays we have of Josh,” said O’Connell. “We got healthy. We got Jaren (Hall) back available to us, and then Nick Mullens is available as well.”

Dobbs said he let the team down by not making enough plays to get the win, crediting the defense for doing its part.

“Bye week, everyone will come back rejuvenated. I’ll be better, we’ll be better,” Dobbs said.

The Vikings acquired the 28-year-old Dobbs, who is playing for his seventh NFL team, days after losing starting quarterback Kirk Cousins to a season-ending Achilles injury.

He led a comeback win off the bench in his first game at Atlanta in Week 9.

–Field Level Media

Nov 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs (15) jumps over Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Kentavius Street (75) during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Vikings plan to start QB Joshua Dobbs vs. Saints

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Vikings are planning to start Joshua Dobbs at quarterback this week against the visiting New Orleans Saints, Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters Monday.

Dobbs said rookie quarterback Jaren Hall is in the concussion protocol, along with wide receiver K.J. Osborn. Both players left Sunday’s win against the Atlanta Falcons with head injuries.

Dobbs — acquired five days before the game in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals — replaced Hall on short notice and guided the Vikings to a come-from-behind, 31-28 victory. Dobbs had a 22-yard scramble late in the game to set up the game-winning touchdown pass to Brandon Powell.

O’Connell said Dobbs will take all the first-team reps in practice this week for the Vikings (5-4), who have won four straight heading into Sunday’s game with the visiting Saints (5-4).

The Vikings are already down Kirk Cousins (torn Achilles) and Nick Mullens (back) at the position, in addition to Hall. Mullens could be activated from injured reserve this week, but O’Connell was not sure of his progress.

Dobbs’ season began in Arizona after the Cardinals, who had to start the season without Kyler Murray, acquired him from the Cleveland Browns at the end of training camp. In eight starts for the Cardinals, Dobbs had 1,569 passing yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions on a 62.8 percent completion rate, plus three rushing TDs.

For the Vikings on Sunday, Dobbs went 20-for-30 for 158 yards and two touchdown passes.

O’Connell also confirmed that running back Cam Akers suffered a ruptured Achilles in the game at Atlanta.

Acquired from the Los Angeles Rams early in the season, Akers appeared in six games for Minnesota and rushed 38 times for 138 yards and one touchdown. He added 11 receptions for 70 yards.

–Field Level Media

Sep 24, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) looks on against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray to return ‘when he can practice’

Posted on | by Field Level Media

When a shopper discovered the Arizona Cardinals’ team store jersey inventory wasn’t offering the No. 9 of their current starting quarterback, the team moved to correct the issue on Wednesday.

That shopper was, in fact, fill-in starter Josh Dobbs. Dobbs shared a video of the experience, which prompted the team to make the uniform option available to fans this week.

“Does he have his jersey in his locker on game day? That’s all I’m concerned about,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said Wednesday.

Dobbs guided the Cardinals to their first win of the 2023 season, 28-16 over the Dallas Cowboys, last week. Arizona is expected to begin eyeing the return of franchise quarterback Kyler Murray in October.

Gannon said there is no set timeline for that move.

“We will activate him when he’s ready to go practice,” Gannon said.

Murray continues to rehab and hasn’t been active this season. He had surgery in December 2022 following a season-ending torn ACL in a loss to the New England Patriots.

The Cardinals acquired Dobbs on Aug. 25 and then released Murray’s former backup, Colt McCoy.

Dobbs has started the first three games of the season for the Cardinals (1-2), who are playing the San Francisco 49ers (3-0) on Sunday. Dobbs has completed 59 of 82 passes (72 percent) for 549 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions in 2023.

–Field Level Media

Browns quarterback Josh Dobbs warms up before playing the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022 in Cleveland.

Reports: Cardinals trade for Browns QB Josh Dobbs

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Arizona Cardinals acquired quarterback Josh Dobbs and a seventh-round pick in the 2024 draft from the Cleveland Browns on Thursday in exchange for a fifth-round pick, multiple reports said.

The Cardinals’ decision to add a veteran quarterback comes as Kyler Murray continues to rehab from ACL surgery on his right knee. The former No. 1 overall pick tore the ACL on Dec. 12 last season and might not be ready for Week 1.

Arizona’s other options at the position include Colt McCoy, rookie Clayton Tune, David Blough and Jeff Driskel. McCoy has appeared in 12 games, starting six, for the Cardinals in relief of Murray over the past two seasons.

Dobbs, 28, signed up for a second stint with the Browns in the offseason after bouncing among Cleveland and four other teams since entering the league in 2017.

In December 2022, with Ryan Tannehill injured, the Tennessee Titans signed Dobbs off the Detroit Lions’ practice squad and had him start the final two games of the season — the first two starts of Dobbs’ NFL career. Dobbs went 40-for-68 passing for 411 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in those games.

After being drafted in the fourth round in 2017 by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dobbs saw action in five games in 2018 and one in 2020. Pittsburgh traded him to the Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of the 2019 season and claimed him off waivers from Jacksonville before 2020.

The Browns also waived quarterback Kellen Mond on Thursday, leaving rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson as the only quarterback remaining behind starter Deshaun Watson.

Earlier Thursday, the Cardinals made two other trades. They sent linebacker Isaiah Simmons to the New York Giants for a 2024 seventh-round pick and dealt offensive tackle Josh Jones and a seventh-round pick to the Houston Texans for a fifth-rounder.

–Field Level Media

Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh Dobbs throws a warmup pass before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio, at FirstEnergy Stadium. Akr 10 9 Browns Chargers122

Titans sign QB Josh Dobbs off Lions’ practice squad

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Tennessee Titans signed quarterback Josh Dobbs off the Detroit Lions’ practice squad on Wednesday.

It’s an insurance move with starter Ryan Tannehill’s status for this week in jeopardy due to an ankle injury.

Per NFL Network, the players believe that rookie Malik Willis will start Saturday when the Titans (7-7) host the Houston Texans (1-12-1).

Dobbs, 27, was waived by the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 28 and signed by the Lions on Dec. 5.

He appeared in six games with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2018 and 2020 seasons, completing 10 of 17 passes for 45 yards with one interception.

Dobbs returns to the state where he played in college at Tennessee from 2013-16.

If Tannehill can’t go, Dobbs would likely be the backup to Willis. Willis started for the Titans in Weeks 8 and 9 and has passed for 177 yards with one interception this season. He has also rushed for 80 yards.

The Titans also placed offensive lineman Dillon Radunz (knee) on injured reserve Wednesday and signed offensive lineman Zack Johnson to the practice squad.

–Field Level Media