Lions To Sign QB Josh Dobbs

A deal has been struck between the Lions and Josh Dobbs, per an announcement from his agent. This will be a one-year pact worth $1.43MM, Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report. Dobbs is set to collect $475K fully guaranteed.

Dobbs was previously in the Lions’ organization in 2022. The 31-year-old has circled back to a team twice before in his career, and he will now do so again. Dobbs also spent time with the Cardinals (2023), and he overlapped with Drew Petzing as a result. He is therefore a familiar face to Detroit’s new offensive coordinator.

Jared Goff remains atop the Lions’ depth chart entering the season, his sixth in the Motor City. Bridgewater’s retirement left Detroit short on depth, however. Prior to this news, only Goff and undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer were in the organization. Instead of relying on the Illinois product, a number of options were sought out. Campbell noted (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press) a signing would take place in short order, with the new arrival a candidate to start Detroit’s preseason opener this week.

As Garafolo notes, Jake Haener and Jack Plummer took place in a workout prior to the Dobbs signing. Haener entered the league as a Saints third-rounder in 2023, but he has made just one regular-season start to date. Plummer, meanwhile, has seen time in the Panthers’ organization but not any work during the regular season. He was the UFL’s MVP in 2026.

Dobbs will offer more in the way of experience than those two. The 2017 fourth-rounder has played for six different teams over the course of his career, including the Patriots last season. New England attempted to work out a Dobbs trade in the spring, but with no agreement taking place the team proceeded with a release. Dobbs remained on the open market through the start of training camps around the league, but he now has a clear path to a QB2 gig.

In 2023, Dobbs made a total of 12 starts between his time with the Cardinals in Vikings. He has seen limited action since then, but a Goff injury this fall could result in a return to the field.