It’s been a while since Josh Dobbs has suited up in black and gold, but the former Pittsburgh Steelers QB will get another shot to prove himself tonight.
Pittsburgh’s 2017 NFL Draft was obviously highlighted by their selection of T.J. Watt with the 30th overall pick, while names like JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner, and Cameron Sutton have each made a name for themselves in this league. However, the Steelers will have another player from this impressive draft class who will be starting in Week 17.
Tonight as the Tennesee Titans take on the Dallas Cowboys, quarterback Josh Dobbs is going to get his first real chance to prove himself in this league. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network confirmed that it will be Dobbs — not Malik Willis — who will suit up in the absence of Ryan Tannehill.
The #Titans are expected to start Josh Dobbs at QB tonight, as @JustinM_NFL said.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 29, 2022
A onetime University of Tennessee standout, Dobbs signed off the #Lions practice squad last week and now will be making his first NFL start.
This is an excellent opportunity for the veteran quarterback. The Steelers selected Dobbs in the fourth round in 2017. While fans quickly fell in love with the preseason phenom, he never started a game for them and was traded to Jacksonville in 2018 when Mason Rudolph was drafted.
Dobbs would later briefly rejoin Pittsburgh in 2020, but his time in the Steel City was short-lived. Recently, he spent time as a backup on the Browns while QB Deshaun Watson was suspended before being released and signing with the Lions practice squad.
Now not only has Dobbs been signed to a roster spot with the Tennessee Titans, but he is also expected to start tonight against the Cowboys.
Steelers fans will be pulling for Dobbs
Pittsburgh Steelers fans have always felt that Josh Dobbs had grabbed the short straw. He had some promising preseasons in Pittsburgh, but the addition of Rudolph just one year after joining the team was bad for his career path. As a result, Dobbs has thrown just 17 passes — completing 10 of them (each coming as a member of the Steelers).
This will be his big shot at redemption. Ryan Tannehill recently had ankle surgery and he is trying to fight his way back to availability in Week 18, but that’s far from a guarantee. If Dobbs can impress against a good team like the Cowboys tonight, this could help revive his career as a potential long-term backup quarterback.
Malik Willis in three starts this season
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 29, 2022
234 pass yards
0 pass TD
3 INT pic.twitter.com/AcpHYn0PTC
The fact that the Titans are starting Dobbs tonight is also a bad sign for Malik Willis — the rookie quarterback that many fans wanted Pittsburgh to take in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Willis has flashed his huge arm and mobility at times, but the results have been abysmal over his three starts this year, and he’s clearly not ready to play.
At 27 years old and with his fifth NFL team since 2017, Josh Dobbs isn’t going to become anybody’s franchise quarterback, but his contract expires following the 2022 season, and he will be auditioning for a new job. Steelers Nation will join in wishing him the best of luck tonight against Dallas, and we hope his performance will lead to more opportunities.
Who knows, with Rudolph’s contract expiring and Mitch Trubisky owed a lot of money next year, maybe there’s even a chance for a Steelers-Dobbs reunion in 2023.