Joshua Dobbs Signs With San Francisco 49ers - Instant Reaction

The San Francisco 49ers have agreed to a one-year contract with quarterback Joshua Dobbs, his agent announced Monday. The 49ers are giving Dobbs a fully guaranteed $2.25 million deal for the 2024 season that includes another $750K in play-time incentives, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Dobbs will likely replace Sam Darnold as the 49ers' backup quarterback behind starter Brock Purdy. Darnold signed with the Minnesota Vikings, the team with which Dobbs finished last season.

Dobbs, a fourth-round pick of the Steelers in 2017, has been one of the NFL's most unique stories over the last two seasons. After stints with the Browns and on the Lions practice squad, Dobbs was signed by the Titans just a few days before Christmas in 2022, and he ended up starting the team's final two games of the season.

In his first two NFL starts, Dobbs completed 40-of-68 passes for 411 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, with a passer rating of 73.8. Dobbs wasn't perfect -- he turned the ball over twice in each of his two starts. But he also worked behind a makeshift offensive line and without running back Derrick Henry in one of his two starts.

He returned to the Browns in 2023 but was sent to the Arizona Cardinals, who needed a short-term starter while incumbent Kyler Murray completed his recovery from a knee injury in a late-August trade. Despite arriving after training camp, Dobbs started the Cardinals' first eight games, completing 62.8 percent of his passes for 1,569 yards and eight touchdowns. Again, Dobbs wasn't perfect. He committed 12 turnovers -- eight interceptions and four fumbles -- and the Cardinals lost seven of those eight games before Dobbs was benched.

The Vikings acquired him on Oct. 31 to be an emergency backup after losing starter Kirk Cousins (Achilles) and backup Nick Mullens, who was recovering from a back injury. Then, just five days after the trade and having taken no practice reps with the Vikings' offense, Dobbs replaced injured starter Jaren Hall and led Minnesota to a wild 31-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. A 27-19 win over the New Orleans Saints the following week, combined with his background as an aerospace engineering major at Tennessee, made him a national cult hero.

A NASA official nicknamed him the "Passtronaut."

But, as ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert noted, Dobbs lost effectiveness in the offense after that, and he did not play again after coach Kevin O'Connell benched him in the fourth quarter of a 3-0 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 14.

Combining his time with the Cardinals and Vikings, Dobbs threw for 2,464 yards in 12 starts. He committed 17 turnovers, and his teams were 3-9 in those games. Over the course of his entire NFL career, he has thrown for 2,920 yards, with 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He has also contributed 496 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns on 91 carries during his time with the Steelers, Titans, Cardinals, and Vikings.

Unless the 49ers make any other quarterback moves this offseason, Dobbs will be called into action if Brock Purdy goes down at any point during the 2024-25 season.

Assuming all goes well, there will be no fantasy fallout from this signing. However, with Brandon Allen as the only other quarterback behind Purdy on their roster, Dobbs offers athleticism and starting experience.

The Vikings currently have Mullens, Hall, and Darnold on the roster. Expect Minnesota to add a quarterback in April's draft.

Stock Watch