Veteran quarterback Joshua Dobbs has been with the Detroit Lions for nearly two weeks. During that time, the 31-year-old hasn’t seen that many opportunities with his new team.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell explained to reporters Thursday, though, that that will change in Week 2 of the NFL preseason.
Getting Dobbs repetitions is a goal for Detroit in the game. As is continuing to develop undrafted rookie quarterback Luke Altmyer.
Either signal-caller could still be Jared Goff’s primary backup when the 2026 regular season begins.
“It is still open,” said Campbell of the backup QB competition. “We’re going to start Dobbs this game. But they’re both going to play equal amounts, is the plan here, between [Dobbs] and Altmyer.”
Campbell went on to explain why Dobbs hasn’t seen as many snaps as one might expect yet with the Lions.
“Dobbs is a bright guy. He’s played in this league. We are just making sure we got him up to speed. Being true to that,” Campbell added. “But also, Luke’s a young player. He’s promising. Trying to soak him with reps. So it was just kind of a little bit of that.
“But we’ll get a look of Dobbs here and let him go.”
The indication appears rather clear. Despite being an undrafted rookie, Altmyer has a legitimate chance to be the Lions backup quarterback when the regular season opens.
What Lions Might Have in QB Luke Altmyer
GettyDetroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters Thursday the backup quarterback competition is open for undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer.
Unless it’s in lopsided victories, the Lions obviously hope Altmyer doesn’t have to play at all as a rookie. Still, it’s exciting to think about what he could bring the Detroit offense in the long term.
Altmyer began his college career at Ole Miss. He found a home in the Big Ten with Illinois and flourished his final two campaigns. Last season, he completed 67.4% of his passes for 3,007 yards with 22 touchdowns and only five interceptions.
Altmyer didn’t have the raw talent to be a draft pick in April. But he has a decent amount of experience. Campbell appears to see him as possessing the potential to get better with more opportunities.
“Altmyer has experience in pro passing concepts and shows decent eye discipline/patience to give the play a chance,” wrote NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. “He throws with adequate anticipation into zone windows but a slower operation time and lack of arm talent hurt his chances of beating tight man coverage.”
While Dobbs will start, Saturday’s game could significantly determine what role Altmyer will fill as a rookie in Detroit.
Altmyer’s Training Camp Changed With Teddy Bridgewater Retired
GettyUndrafted rookie quarterback Luke Altmyer is competing with Joshua Dobbs for the backup role with the Detroit Lions.
The Lions appeared to simply be taking a flier on Altmyer when they signed him as an undrafted free agent. His role quickly changed, though, a couple weeks ago.
Detroit placed veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater on the reserve/retired list on August 9. Pundits expected Bridgewater to serve as Goff’s backup again in 2026.
The Lions quickly signed Dobbs the same day Bridgewater’s retirement became official. As Campbell explained, Dobbs is a savvy veteran who, more than likely, will be the better option off the bench if Goff suffers an injury.
But clearly, Campbell isn’t discounting the fact Altmyer has spent the entire offseason with the Lions.
Detroit will host the Washington Commanders in Week 2 of the NFL preseason Saturday. Kickoff will occur at 12 pm ET.
Lions’ Dan Campbell Delivers Clear Message to Undrafted Rookie QB