Who is Josh Dobbs? Meet the Browns QB impressing during preseason

CLEVELAND. This offseason, all eyes were on the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback position. But while the main focus was on the status of Deshawn Watson and the performance of his understudy Jacoby Brissette, the team’s third forward Joshua Dobbs was one of the most pleasant surprises for the Browns.

In the first two games of the preseason, Dobbs was more than impressive, completing 24 of his 33 pass attempts for 249 yards and one touchdown, and adding 56 yards and a touchdown on five rush attempts. On Saturday, marking Cleveland’s 2022 pre-season final against the Chicago Bears, here are three things to know about Dobbs, who appears to have secured a spot on the Browns’ 53-man final roster.

Dobbs, a native of Alpharetta, Georgia, ranked 10th among quarterbacks in the 2013 class, according to 247Sports. After initially moving to Arizona State, the 4-star recruit changed his commitment on National Signing Day by signing with Tennessee.

Arriving in Knoxville as a highly publicized signalman, Dobbs appeared in five games, including four starts, during his freshman season. As a sophomore, he began the year as Justin Worley’s understudy, and at the end of the season became the team’s starter.

Dobbs enjoyed a breakout performance leading the Volunteers to a 45-42 overtime win over South Carolina and was named TaxSlayer Bowl MVP in the victory over Iowa. He continued to serve as Tennessee’s starting quarterback for the final two seasons of his college career and set school records for quarterback yards (2,160) and quarterback touchdowns (32).

In the final game of his college career, he was named the Music City Bowl MVP in the Volunteers’ victory over Nebraska.

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Dobbs in the fourth round (135th overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft. He began his NFL career as a quarterback for the Steelers’ third roster, and in 2018 became Ben Roethlisberger’s primary understudy, throwing six of 12 pass attempts for 43 yards and one interception.

After the first week of the 2019 season, Dobbs was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars after Nick Fowles broke his collarbone. Dobbs, however, would not play for the Jaguars, and Pittsburgh requested a waiver after withdrawing before the start of the 2020 season.

During his second tenure with the Steelers, the 6-foot-3 Dobbs completed four of his five two-yard pass attempts and added 20 yards on two ground attempts, including a first down. He will miss the entire 2021 season with a toe injury before signing a one-year deal with the Browns in the offseason.

Dobbs was not only successful on the field during his time at Tennessee College. In addition to playing a major role on the volunteer roster, Dobbs earned a degree in aerospace engineering.

From 2020-21, he worked with NASA’s Kennedy Space Flight Center for the NFLPA’s Virtual Internship Program, which provides NFL players with professional development experience to prepare them for their post-football careers. In 2014, he was recognized as one of NFL.com’s smartest players in college football.