Josh Dobbs Rides Again
The New England Patriots added former Minnesota Vikings defensive free agent in Khyiris Tonga (DT) on Monday, and minutes later, signed quarterback Joshua Dobbs, too.
Josh Dobbs Rides Again
Dobbs will presumably back up Drake Maye in 2025, the latest transaction from a rather busy Patriots organization.
Dobbs’ agent, Mike McCartney, tweeted Monday, “Congrats to Joshua Dobbs for agreeing to a 2-year deal with the Patriots.”
The connection? Dobbs had a 2022 stop with the Tennessee Titans when Mike Vrabel ran the show, and now Vrabel is the top guy in New England. A prevalent occurrence, coaches love tabbing their former players for reunion duty. Dobbs and Vrabel are no different.
Here’s Dobbs’ [packed] NFL resume to date:
- Pittsburgh Steelers (2017–2019)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (2019)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (2020–2021)
- Cleveland Browns (2022)
- Detroit Lions (2022)
- Tennessee Titans (2022)
- Cleveland Browns (2023)
- Arizona Cardinals (2023)
- Minnesota Vikings (2023)
- San Francisco 49ers (2024)
- New England Patriots (2025)
Dobbs set the world on fire — for about three weeks — in 2023, guiding the Vikings to two unforeseen victories versus the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints. The wins helped keep Minnesota’s season afloat and even gave the Vikings an over 80% chance of reaching the postseason (at the time).
Minnesota lost former QB1 Kirk Cousins to a season-ending Achilles rupture in late October of 2023, and in an attempt to keep the season afloat because QB2 Nick Mullens was also injured, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah fired off a low-risk trade with the Arizona Cardinals for Dobbs. Adofo-Mensah sent a 6th-Round draft pick to the desert in exchange for Dobbs and a conditional 7th-Rounder.
The trade turned out to be next to free. Dobbs needed to play 55% of the Vikings’ offensive snaps for the Cardinals to retain the 7th-Round selection in this year’s draft. That did not happen.
After the Cousins injury on October 29th, 2023, Minnesota started rookie passer Jaren Hall for two drives at Atlanta before a concussion knocked him out of the lineup. Dobbs entered the mix and dazzled. He looked like an unabashed Pro Bowler for a day, only studying the Vikings’ playbook in broad strokes before insertion into the lineup. DobbsMania fully engulfed the state of Minnesota and the NFL on the whole. The veteran passer then helped the Vikings win the following game at home versus the New Orleans Saints, and Dobbs played a major role in the dub.
Then, the wheels fell off.
Dobbs failed to generate chemistry with Jordan Addison, didn’t excel throwing outside the numbers, and left Justin Jefferson out to dry with an errant pass at the Denver Broncos. Head coach Kevin O’Connell benched Dobbs mid-game the following Sunday at the Las Vegas Raiders, Nick Mullens joined the lineup, the Vikings beat Las Vegas, and Dobbs was never heard from again. That was also the Vikings’ final win of 2023.
He started one game for the 49ers in 2024.
The Patriots also employ former Vikings players Vederian Lowe (OT), John Parker Romo (K), Tyrese Robinson (OG), Jaquelin Roy (DT), and the aforementioned Tonga (DT).
Dobbs turned 30 in January.
Vikings Free Agent Tracker | 2025
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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