The New England Patriots released quarterback Josh Dobbs on Monday morning. This was reported by NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport on Monday morning.
Dobbs was brought in to the Patriots organization as an unrestricted free agent from the San Francisco 49ers on March 18, 2025. He was thought of as a backup quarterback for second-year signal -caller Drake Maye. He played in four games and completed seven-of-10 pass attempts. Dobbs threw for 65 total passing yards and had an 87.5 passer rating.
The Tennessee product saw ample action during the last half of the season. He completed three of four passes for 30 yards against the New York Jets on December 28. The quarterback also went three-of-four for 23 yards in the final quarter of a 38-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
The #Patriots are planning to release backup QB Josh Dobbs, sources say, after the being unable to find a trade partner. Dobbs is now slated to be free. pic.twitter.com/IVutDHBwUX
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 23, 2026
Dobbs Had Lengthy Career Prior To Patriots
The quarterback was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft. He served primarily as a backup to Ben Rothlisberger and was with the Steelers on multiple occasions. The Steelers then traded him to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons there. He did not see regular-season action.
He also joined the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans in the 2022 season. The quarterback achieved a milestone with the Titans, as he made his first career NFL starts in Weeks 17 and 18.
the Volunteers from 2013-2016 and finished his college career ranked fifth in school history for passing yards and third for rushing touchdowns. He had 7,138 passing yards and 53 passing touchdowns. The dual-threat quarterback also recorded 2,160 yards on the ground and 32 touchdowns in total.
He was named MVP of the 2015 Taxslayer Bowl and the 2016 Music City Bowl.
The Taxslayer Bowl in particular saw him record 129 passing yards and a passing touchdown. However, he made a bigger impact on the ground, recording 13 rushing attempts for 76 yards and two touchdowns. He accumulated 205 yards of total offense and accounted for three touchdowns.
A Larger Role For Other Patriots Quarterbacks
This could mean that the Patriots are happy with the quarterback room. This includes Tommy DeVito . The latter was used as the emergency third quarterback behind Maye and Dobbs. Now, his role could increase with New England.
He had starting experience with the New York Giants and has 1,358 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions to his name. He was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week in December 2023 after beating the Green Bay Packers by a 24-22 margin on Monday Night Football.
Either way, Maye will still be the starting quarterback. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the backup quarterback room takes shape. The Patriots would have an opportunity to add talent via the draft. Either way, the organization is comfortable with where the quarterback room is headed. The Patriots have made it clear that Maye is the starter, and have also done a solid job of adding depth in case of an emergency. It can be a tough line to follow sometimes, but the Patriots have done well.
Patriots Make Bold QB Call With Sudden Backup Release: Report