Getty Images Joshua Dobbs is not worried about how things could have played out for him with the Cleveland Browns.
Joshua Dobbs is not dwelling on what could have been with the Cleveland Browns following Deshaun Watson’s season-ending shoulder injury.
Dobbs was slated to be the backup in Cleveland but was sent to the Arizona Cardinals for a fifth-round pick ahead of the season. With Watson now lost for the year, the Browns parting ways with Dobbs is proving painful.
Dobbs has passed for 1,995 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions this season with the Cardinals and, more recently, the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings lost starter Kirk Cousins to a season-ending torn Achilles tendon and traded for Dobbs at the deadline. Dobbs, now a folk hero in Minnesota, led the Vikings to victory in their last two games as the primary quarterback.
With Watson out, the Browns are forced to turn to rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Journeyman PJ Walker — who has also started games this season — will back him up. Staying in Cleveland would have been ideal for Dobbs but he’s not getting caught up on “what ifs.”
“I don’t really live in the world of hypotheticals. I kind of just stay right here,” Dobbs said on November 15 when asked about Watson’s injury. “Obviously prayers for Deshaun and his surgery. I wish him a speedy recovery. But does my mind wander to what ifs? No. I have so much on my plate just in preparing for each game, especially this game against a really good defense, that I got to stay right here. Stay present in it all and worry about my situation and making the most of it.”
Browns Didn’t Attempt to Re-Acquire Joshua Dobbs Via Trade
The Browns decided not to go after an established backup QB at the trade deadline, despite Watson’s health being a question. He missed more than a month with a rotator cuff strain and suffered the season-ending injury against the Baltimore Ravens on November 12. The team has said the injuries aren’t related.
Dobbs was available at the deadline and the Vikings gave up just a sixth-round pick to land him. The trade would have been worthwhile for the Browns. However, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported the Browns weren’t interested.
The Browns may have had their eyes on a backup quarterback but general manager Andrew Berry declined to elaborate.
“I won’t go into the details. We’re pretty active,” Berry said on Wednesday, November 15. “We have a lot of discussions about a lot of different positions that can help the team. But again, we do feel good about the room.”
Browns QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson Confident Ahead of Second Chance
The Browns will now turn over the reins to Thompson-Robinson. He shined in the preseason but flopped in his first start. He tossed three interceptions against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4 and was sent to the bench for Walker.
Thompson-Robinson is confident he can put that behind him and step up in his second chance to start.
“I mean, shoot, I know what to expect now,” Thompson-Robinson said on Thursday, November 16. “Unlike many other people out there, I’ve been in an NFL game, so I’m not stepping out there for the first time. I know all my keys, all what to look at throughout film, what to watch, who key players are on their defense and everything now. So, I’m not just going out there wide-eyed anymore. I’m going out there with things to look at, things to focus on and a plan to be able to tackle.”
The Browns face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday in a critical AFC North matchup. Cleveland is a slight 1-point favorite for the matchup.