Steelers Now
A former quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers believes the team hurt his development in the NFL.
Veteran quarterback Josh Dobbs recently put the Pittsburgh Steelers on blast for his lack of success in the NFL.
Dobbs, who was drafted by the Steelers in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, believes they severely hurt his development at the next level.
“I’ve seen it both ways. I’ve shown up for work, and I had no clue what I was being asked to do. And I’ve been in a place where you’ve had to come in as a quarterback and it’s like, ‘Here’s the game plan. Here’s a script.’ You’re figuring out your reads and your footwork and it’s trial by error. There’s no framework of what you’re trying to get done as an offense. I’ve been there. I’ve done it. It’s not enjoyable,” Dobbs said to Ty Dunne of Go Long. “I want to know the why. I want to know why and how we’re attacking them. You just want reasoning. As I said, I’ve seen the exact opposite of the coin.”
Dobbs has been quite the journeyman as of late, but he spent the first three years of his NFL career as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s backup in Pittsburgh. During that span, he appeared in five games and threw for just 43 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception.
He then joined the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019 before making his return to Pittsburgh for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
However, Dobbs didn’t make his first career start until the 2022 season with the Tennessee Titans in relief of injured starter Ryan Tannehill. In two games, he threw for 411 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
In 2023, Dobbs spent training camp with the Cleveland Browns, but after a strong showing in the preseason, the Arizona Cardinals traded for him on the eve of the regular season to make him their starter.
Dobbs made eight starts in Arizona, throwing 266 times and competing 167 (62.8%) for 1,569 yards (5.9 yards per attempt), eight touchdowns, five interceptions and an 81.2 passer rating.
Then with injured Cardinals starter Kyler Murray nearing a return, they traded Dobbs and a seventh-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for a sixth-round pick at the NFL trade deadline.
In Minnesota, Dobbs replaced injured starter Kirk Cousins and played in five more games, maintaining a 62.9% completion percentage, 5.9 yards per attempt and a 76.4 passer rating.
Dobbs then joined the San Francisco 49ers for the 2024 season and the New England Patriots for the 2025 season, and after experiencing several different organizations, feels as though he could have had a different career if it weren’t for his start with the Steelers.
A native of Alpharetta, Georgia, Dobbs has thrown for 3,281 yards, 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in his professional career.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Former Steelers QB Faults Team for Lack of Success
