Getty Joshua Dobbs #15 of the Cleveland Browns looks to pass during the first half of a preseason game against the Chicago Bears at FirstEnergy Stadium on August 27, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Browns still have a lot of questions under center, but at least one of them has been answered definitively as the regular season fast approaches.
Deshaun Watson will miss the first 11 games of the year due to a suspension, a time period now set in stone. Jacoby Brissett will start in his stead — the current state of affairs, though there is less than a 100 percent certainty he remains in that role should the veteran QB struggle to begin the season.
One thing that is certain, however, is that former Pittsburgh Steelers signal caller Josh Dobbs has claimed outright the backup job behind Brissett and could see field time even if the offense runs well. Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported as much on Thursday, September 1.
#Browns Kevin Stefanski didn’t hesitate today when stating that Joshua Dobbs is the No. 2 quarterback behind Jacob Brissett
“#Browns [head coach] Kevin Stefanski didn’t hesitate today when stating that Joshua Dobbs is the No. 2 quarterback behind Jacoby Brissett,” Cabot tweeted.
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Dobbs’ Stellar Preseason Won Him Backup Job, Possible Regular Role
GettyQuarterback Joshua Dobbs of the Cleveland Browns dives in for a touchdown during the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Chicago Bears at FirstEnergy Stadium on August 27, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Dobbs has only logged regular season statistics in two of his four years in the league, 2018 and 2020 as a member of the Steelers. Over that time, he has produced a career stat line of 10 of 17 passing for 45 yards and one interception. Dobbs has also carried the ball six times for 31 yards, per Pro Football Reference.
Yet after failing to find his way onto the field at any point last year, Dobbs produced an explosive preseason that shut the door on the competition for Cleveland’s backup QB job. He completed 35 of 53 throws for 338 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions across three preseason games. Dobbs also rushed the ball six times, gaining a total of 57 yards and scoring a touchdown.
Dobbs’ effectiveness and versatility won him not just the confidence of the Browns’ coaching staff, but also a shot at running some regular season packages even if all is going well with Brissett. Beyond the fact that Dobbs had won the backup job, Cabot also reported Thursday that Stefanski said Dobbs is capable of “running a package of plays in a game.”
Browns Stash Two More QBs Ahead of Regular Season Opener
GettyQB Kellen Mond, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings, runs with the ball against Kevin Atkins of the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth quarter of a preseason game at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 20, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
The belief Dobbs has fostered in Cleveland has not stopped the team from hedging its bets at the position.
The Browns cut Josh Rosen from the roster as part of a series of moves to reduce the number of players to 53. However, the team has brought him back to participate as a member of the practice squad.
Cleveland also picked up former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kellen Mond off waivers, a third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, following his release late last month.
After Dobbs bested Rosen for the No. 2 job, it appears the Browns will now pit Rosen and Mond against one another to see who will remain on the practice squad. The winner is highly likely to be elevated to the active roster should an injury befall either Brissett or Dobbs, making the competition one of note over the next several weeks.