Joshua Dobbs

Cardinals To Bench Josh Dobbs; Kyler Murray Week 9 Return In Play

October 30th, 2023 at 4:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cardinals may end up starting at least three quarterbacks for a second straight season, but Kyler Murray‘s extended onramp complicates matters for the NFC West team. One issue will be resolved following Week 8; the Cardinals are set to bench Josh Dobbs.

Jonathan Gannon said Monday the Cardinals will bench Dobbs for their Week 9 matchup against the Browns, with Clayton Tune now in the picture to start. That said, Gannon has not ruled out Murray returning Sunday, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com tweets. Following the Cards’ Week 8 loss to the Ravens, Gannon said Dobbs would receive another start. But after meeting with the three QBs Monday morning, the rookie HC has changed his mind. It will be either a Tune cameo or Murray’s long-awaited return against the Browns.

While Murray is clearly close, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports Tune is likely to receive the call for the Cards’ Cleveland trip. With the Browns ranking first in pass defense, this promises to be a difficult spot for the fifth-round rookie. But the Cardinals are in a clear rebuild, having never been expected to vie for a playoff spot this season. Tune will receive an early audition for the presumptive role of Murray’s long-term backup.

Murray has until Nov. 8 to be activated, but after deeming the two-time Pro Bowler fully healthy, Gannon (via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo) has seen the fifth-year passer resemble his pre-injury version in practice. If the Cardinals are moving Dobbs out of the picture, a Murray activation could be imminent. Murray has not played since Week 14 of last season, when he suffered ACL and meniscus injuries. The Cardinals have given the dual-threat talent an extended runup to his fifth season — and first under Gannon and OC Drew Petzing.

Had the Cardinals profiled as a contending team coming into the season, Murray likely would have debuted already. But they are in a rebuild and sitting 1-7. Murray patience has made sense through this lens, and Rapoport adds a Week 10 return is the more likely scenario.

The Cardinals took Tune at No. 139 this year, drafting the ex-Houston Cougar as part of a Day 2 trade with the Lions. As Detroit moved back into Round 3 for defensive tackle Brodric Martin, Arizona continued to stockpile picks. The team had already traded back in Rounds 1 and 2, allowing the Texans and Titans respective access to Will Anderson and Will Levis. Months before Dobbs arrived via trade, Tune came to the desert as part of what was then a crowded depth chart. But Colt McCoy, David Blough and Jeff Driskel are no longer with the Cardinals. Tune has operated as Dobbs’ backup throughout this season.

Tune boasted an impressive stat line in 2022, throwing 40 touchdown passes and just 10 interceptions at the then-American Athletic Conference school. Over his final two years with the Cougars, Tune posted a 70-20 TD-INT ratio and averaged at least 8.8 yards per attempt in each slate. Tune should be expected to give way to Murray soon, but this will present an early opportunity. Should Murray return as the starter in Week 10, the Cards will have started seven QBs from 2022-23. McCoy, Blough and Trace McSorley started games last season.

QB Notes: Taylor, Cardinals, Bucs, Ridder

October 29th, 2023 at 8:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tyrod Taylor left Sunday’s game with a rib injury and needed to be hospitalized. The Giants announced they are keeping their backup-turned-starter in the hospital overnight for observation on his ribcage ailment. Taylor has a history of rib trouble, of course, as just more than three years have passed since the rib injection that ended his brief run as the Chargers’ starter. The pregame shot before Week 2 of the 2020 season resulted in a punctured lung. During Taylor’s one-season stint as the Texans’ starter, he missed a third of the season due to a hamstring malady. The journeyman came back as a backup, with Houston giving Davis Mills a shot to close that season.

Taylor almost certainly will be welcomed back as the Giants’ starter when he is ready, as the team pivoted to nearly run-only blueprint with practice squad elevation Tommy DeVito under center. Daniel Jones is not expected to be back until Week 10, as he continues to battle a neck injury. The latest coming out of that situation points to the well-paid starter dealing with a disk issue and weakness in his nonthrowing shoulder.

Here is the latest from the QB ranks:

The Cardinals have joined the Giants in playing a backup this season, and while they have pronounced Kyler Murray fully healthy after his December 2022 ACL tear, the team will once again hold out the Pro Bowler. Jonathan Gannon announced postgame Joshua Dobbs will start in Week 9. Murray remains on Arizona’s reserve/PUP list, having been designated for return on Oct. 18. The Cardinals do not have to activate him until Nov. 8, giving them one more game to keep Murray off the roster. Early reports indicated an early-season return would be in play for Murray, and Michael Bidwill doubled down on that in April. But the organization has proceeded cautiously with the former No. 1 pick, who has also needed to learn a new offense. It will be interesting to see if the sinking Cardinals redeploy Murray as their starter immediately upon activating him.
Baker Mayfield did not escape Thursday’s loss in Buffalo unscathed, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler noting the free agent pickup is dealing with a knee contusion. Mayfield is planning to play through this injury, but it has caused him discomfort. The Buccaneers QB’s MRI did not reveal any structural damage, however.
While Kenny Pickett was initially expected to return to Sunday’s Steelers-Jaguars matchup following his rib injury, via ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor, the Steelers ruled out their starter and kept Mitch Trubisky in the game. Pickett left the game before the half but was warming up to come back; instead, the team shut him down. Benched early during his first Steelers season, Trubisky became needed on multiple occasions due to Pickett’s two-concussion rookie year. It is not yet known how much time (if any) the 2022 first-rounder will miss as a result of his latest injury.
Desmond Ridder‘s midgame exit did not stem from performance issues, Arthur Smith said (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Ridder was evaluated for a concussion, but while he was cleared of a head injury, Smith said he “didn’t think Des was right” following the exit. The Falcons kept Taylor Heinicke in the game as a result. Heinicke logged one of the most active QB2 seasons in NFL history two years ago, replacing Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 1 and keeping the Washington reins the rest of the way. The Falcons gave the multiyear Washington starter a two-year, $14MM deal this offseason. Ridder has delivered an uneven season thus far, but the Falcons passed on chances to acquire a starter-caliber QB in order to keep him in place. With the team proclaiming Ridder the starter in March, it does not appear he is in danger of being pulled.

Browns GM Andrew Berry Addresses Josh Dobbs Trade

October 6th, 2023 at 9:28am CST by Adam La Rose

Week 4 marked the first regular season action for Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, as the rookie saw the start in place of the injured Deshaun Watson. The former’s performance led to questions about Cleveland’s decision to trade away veteran passer Josh Dobbs, one the organization is satisfied with.

The Cardinals traded for Dobbs in late August, putting him in position to serve as their starting signal-caller until the return of Kyler Murray. While the move reunited Dobbs with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing (who previously served as the Browns’ QBs coach), Arizona’s offer came as a surprise to Cleveland. The sides were quickly able to work out a deal, though, leaving the latter team short on experience under center.

Thompson-Robinson went 19-of-36 for 121 scoreless yards in a Week 4 loss to the Ravens, throwing three interceptions and taking four sacks. The fifth-rounder’s struggles were understandable in his debut, but they notably contrasted with his encouraging performances in training camp and the preseason. They also stood out when compared to Dobbs, who has posted a 4:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 99.4 passer rating in Arizona.

“In terms of trading Josh, obviously we had a high opinion of Josh,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said of the trade, via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. “I’ve often talked up here about the general manager’s role having a foot in the present and a foot in the future. That consideration, in that transaction, has elements of that… We’re really excited to work with Dorian and see him progress and develop. But thought it was the right move for the organization, both short and long term.”

Indeed, many pointed to Thompson-Robinson as the Browns’ eventual QB2 despite Dobbs’ presence, so moving on from the more experienced option helped accelerate his move up the depth chart. Berry confirmed his confidence in Thompson-Robinson as the team’s long-term Watson understudy, adding that he discussed the proposed Dobbs trade with head coach Kevin Stefanski before authorizing it. While much of Cleveland’s success in 2023 and beyond will be tied to Watson’s level of play when healthy, the team remains comfortable with its backup options (which currently includes P.J. Walker) behind him.

QB Notes: Dak, Ravens, Lance, Dobbs, Lions

September 21st, 2023 at 1:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although a report earlier this month indicated the Cowboys and Dak Prescott had not begun contract negotiations, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe notes conversations occurred “throughout the offseason.” The Cowboys restructured Prescott’s deal in March, creating 2023 cap space but setting up a showdown of sorts in 2024. Because of the redo, Prescott carries what would be a record-shattering $59.5MM cap hit for 2024, the final year of his contract. Prescott, 30, will almost definitely not play on that number; no one has ever played on a cap number north of $45MM.

Because the Cowboys tagged Dak in 2020 and procedurally tagged him in 2021, part of the long-running negotiations that finally produced a deal in March 2021, they do not have a 2025 tag at their disposal. The Cowboys want to gain contract clarity with Prescott, Howe notes (subscription required), with CeeDee Lamb extension-eligible and Micah Parsons eligible in January. But the eighth-year QB will hold tremendous leverage, particularly if he can complete a bounce-back season, once the sides get serious about an extension.

Here is more on the QB front:

The Cardinals have used Josh Dobbs as their starting quarterback through two games, doing so despite the veteran reserve not being acquired until late August. Although Dobbs had a history with ex-Browns QBs coach-turned-Cardinals OC Drew Petzing, the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot notes the Cards surprised the Browns with an “out of the blue” trade proposal for their then-backup. Cleveland, which had brought back Dobbs in March, decided the offer — a 2024 fifth-rounder for Dobbs and a 2024 seventh — was good enough to bump up rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson into the QB2 role behind Deshaun Watson.
Dobbs was not the only QB who relocated via trade in August, as the 49ers-Cowboys Trey Lance swap outflanked the above-referenced move for headlines. The Ravens were mentioned as a Lance suitor, but Eric DeCosta said the team was not interested. “If somebody calls you and asks if you’re interested in a player and you say ‘No’ does that mean you’re interested in that player?” DeCosta said, via Ravens staff writer Kyle Phoenix Barber. The Ravens did pursue Baker Mayfield in March, when Lamar Jackson was on the franchise tag, but Tyler Huntley remains Jackson’s backup.
Baltimore also rosters Josh Johnson…again. The journeyman (the term sells Johnson’s travels short) ventured to San Francisco last year following Jimmy Garoppolo‘s injury, being poached off Denver’s practice squad to become Brock Purdy‘s backup. Shortly after landing in the Bay Area, Johnson said (via ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine) the Ravens attempted to sign him. This sequence transpired in December, when Jackson’s knee injury left Huntley and Anthony Brown as the Ravens’ QBs. Johnson, 37, is on stint No. 3 with the Ravens presently; he was with the team in 2016 and 2021.
On the subject of the 2022 49ers, the team’s Lance hedge — via the Garoppolo contract reworking just before last season — came about because Garoppolo was still viewed as the better quarterback. The 49ers aimed for Lance — the unquestioned starter going into Week 1 — to pass the veteran after a season’s worth of growth, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. Lance suffered a fractured ankle in Week 2, requiring two surgeries, and is back on the developmental track in Dallas. The Cowboys have the former No. 3 overall pick stationed as their third-stringer.
In 2021, the Lions were beginning another rebuild — one that soon involved a trade of Matthew Stafford. The 12-year Lions QB had requested a trade before the team made its GM hire, and The Athletic’s Colton Pouncey writes Detroit brass did not inform candidates of the request. The Lions had shot down Stafford trade talk in 2020, but after the veteran passer requested a move as the team reloaded around Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell in January 2021, the thinking changed. Holmes was unfazed by Stafford’s wish to be dealt, per Pouncey. After negotiating with several teams, the Lions collected two first-round picks, a third and current starter Jared Goff in that seminal swap with the Rams.

Josh Dobbs Expected To Start For Cardinals In Week 1

September 6th, 2023 at 1:48pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Cardinals’ quarterback situation to start the season appears to be in place. Trade acquisition Josh Dobbs is expected to start in Week 1, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Arizona appeared to name Dobbs the starter in its information packets sent to the NFL ahead of the team’s season opener against the Commanders. As Howard Balzer of PHNX.com notes, the 28-year-old is listed as being set to make his debut in the desert, whereas such a scenario is listed as a hypothetical for rookie Clayton Tune. Today’s report thus comes as no surprise.

Arizona made the noteworthy move of acquiring Dobbs from the Browns not long before roster cutdowns and mere hours after Cleveland named him Deshaun Watson‘s backup. The Browns moved quickly in sending Dobbs to Arizona, and in doing so putting him position to take on first-team duties right away. The Cardinals then released Colt McCoy, who had been the presumed Week 1 starter to fill in for the injured Kyler Murray.

The latter is on the PUP list, meaning he will miss at least the first four weeks of the campaign. The role of starter will thus be handed on a game-by-game basis, Rapoport notes. Dobbs has spent considerably more time in the NFL compared to Tune, having been drafted in 2017. He has only made eight appearances during that time, though, including two late-season starts in 2022 for the Titans. As was the case in Tennessee, Dobbs will now quickly acclimate himself to a new offensive system before seeing immediate playing time.

Helping him in that regard is the fact that Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing previously served as quarterbacks coach in Cleveland, giving him a working relationship with Dobbs. The latter will look to make a good first impression with his new team, one of which very little is expected (with or without Murray available) in 2023. Keeping Dobbs in the starter’s role would nevertheless allow Tune, a fifth-rounder who threw a combined 70 touchdown passes during his final two years at Houston, to develop from the sidelines.

Strong play from Dobbs would also, of course, give him an opportunity to find a long-term opportunity either in Arizona or elsewhere in the future. He has bounced around the NFL during his career, but the latest chance to find stability will begin on Sunday with the Cardinals.

Cardinals Release QB Colt McCoy; Kyler Murray To Begin Season On PUP List

August 28th, 2023 at 10:58pm CST by Rory Parks

Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Cardinals QB Kyler Murray will begin 2023 on the reserve/PUP list, which will require him to miss at least the first four games of the season. The bigger surprise is that Colt McCoy, who spent the past two seasons as Murray’s backup in Arizona, has been released, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Murray, of course, is the club’s franchise passer, and he signed a massive contract extension last July. But he suffered an ACL tear and a torn meniscus late in the 2022 season, and while there was some initial optimism that he would be cleared for Week 1 of the upcoming campaign, it had become increasingly apparent that would not be the case. As Arizona is clearly in rebuild mode — and perhaps in line for the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 draft — it simply does not make sense for the team to rush Murray back onto the field.

Even after the recent trade that brought Josh Dobbs to the desert, the expectation was that McCoy would open the season as the Cardinals’ starting signal-caller, with Dobbs serving as his backup and fifth-round rookie Clayton Tune as the third-stringer. On the other hand, new Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing worked as the Browns’ quarterbacks coach in 2022, when Dobbs was on the Cleveland roster, so there is some familiarity there. Additionally, McCoy’s 2022 season was cut short due to a concussion, and he spent time on IR with a calf injury prior to that. An elbow problem sidelined McCoy at the outset of this year’s offseason program.

The McCoy release creates $1.5MM of cap space for the Cardinals while leaving the club with a dead money charge of $3.5MM, as Mike Jurecki of Arizona Football Daily observes. As such, it seems clear that the move was not financially motivated and was instead designed to give younger players who might have longer futures with the team more of an opportunity.

McCoy, who will turn 37 next month, contemplated retirement this offseason. It is now fair to wonder if he will hang up the cleats or search for another opportunity to extend his playing career. The Texas product has started 36 games in the NFL, and though his 11-25 record as a starter is obviously uninspiring, he has had stretches of quality play. In 2021, for instance, he started three games in relief of an injured Murray and went 2-1 while completing 74.7% of his passes for three TDs against one interception.

Browns To Trade QB Josh Dobbs To Cardinals

August 24th, 2023 at 10:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cardinals are still not done on the trade front. Arizona is on the acquiring end of a deal this time, however. The Browns are trading quarterback Josh Dobbs and a 2024 seventh-round pick to the Cardinals for a 2024 fifth-rounder (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones was the first to report (via Twitter) that Dobbs was on his way to the desert.

Jones adds that that Kellen Mond has not, in fact, been placed on waivers. Such a move was announced by the team earlier today, but with Dobbs no longer in the fold, the Browns will retain Mond to keep three quarterbacks on the roster. Most significantly, this news confirms that rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson has done enough to win the backup job behind Deshaun Watson.

This move ends a second Dobbs tenure early. The Browns had rostered Dobbs as their Jacoby Brissett backup last year, but Watson’s return from suspension led to the team cutting him. Dobbs ended up in Detroit and then Tennessee, where he was immediately called upon to start (over Malik Willis) in the Titans’ final two games. Now, the veteran reserve, months after rejoining the Browns on a one-year deal worth $2MM, will join a Cardinals team that came into the day with five QBs rostered. The move points to Kyler Murray remaining on Arizona’s PUP list to start the season.

The trade also comes not long after Kevin Stefanski (via cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot) had named Dobbs as their backup. That was believed to be the plan all along, with the seventh-year vet operating as QB2 as Thompson-Robinson developed. This move will still allow for Thompson-Robinson to grow behind Watson, though an injury to the starter would throw the fifth-round rookie into the fire.

Although Colt McCoy, David Blough, Jeff Driskel and fifth-round rookie Clayton Tune are on Arizona’s roster, the Cardinals brought in Dobbs, who has a history with new OC Drew Petzing. The Browns’ QBs coach last year will bring in Dobbs as McCoy insurance, per ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss (on Twitter). McCoy’s season ended early because of a concussion last year, and he went on IR with another issue prior to that. An elbow problem sidelined McCoy to start this offseason program as well. The 14th-year veteran is going into his age-37 season. Under contract for one more year, McCoy considered retirement this offseason.

To start the year, the Cards’ depth chart will likely be McCoy-Dobbs-Tune at QB, Weinfuss adds. With Petzing on board as the play-caller, TheLandonDemand.com’s Tony Grossi notes the Cardinals tried to sign Dobbs as a free agent. Thompson-Robinson’s emergence changed the Browns’ thinking regarding their QB depth chart, per Grossi.

Despite Dobbs coming into the league as a 2017 fourth-round pick, he had only attempted 17 passes coming into December of last year. The Titans summoned the rocket scientist, and he completed 69% of his passes in a do-or-die game against a much healthier Jaguars squad. The injury-plagued Titans pushed the Jags in that Week 18 game, with Dobbs throwing for 232 yards and a touchdown. Mired in some QB uncertainty until Murray returns, the Cardinals now have the former Steelers draftee in a familiar system.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Browns Likely To Carry Three QBs

July 10th, 2023 at 11:58am CST by Adam La Rose

Much of the Browns’ success on offense in 2023 will be dictated by Deshaun Watson‘s ability to rebound from a suspension-shortened debut season with the team last year. Cleveland will likely have a pair of signal-callers backing him up this campaign.

The Browns have Watson on the books through 2026 after going all-in on him via a huge trade with the Texans and subsequent fully-guranteed contract (which, having been restructured, will represent a major cap burden starting next year). The three-time Pro Bowler put up less-than-impressive numbers during his six games in 2022, which marked his first regular season action since 2020. After a full offseason in Cleveland, one which has included upgrades to the team’s receiving corps, expectations will be raised significantly for Watson.

His backup will be veteran Joshua Dobbs, who was in Cleveland in 2022 to serve as Jacoby Brissett‘s backup until Watson’s suspension had been served. Dobbs signed with the Titans late in the year, and he started Tennessee’s final two contests while the team dealt with the absence of Ryan Tannehill. Cleveland lost Brissett in free agency, but brought back Dobbs to resume his QB2 duties.

The Browns added a long-term backup option in the form of Dorian Thompson-Robinson by selecting him in the fifth round of this year’s draft. The presence of the UCLA product leaves Cleveland likely to keep three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster this year, per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal. The NFL’s move to allow emergency QBs to dress despite not counting as a gameday activation has left teams with interesting roster decisions to make.

As Easterling notes, the Browns view Thompson-Robinson as their Watson understudy for the foreseeable future, though Dobbs has seen second-team work in spring practices. Thompson-Robinson had a career-year in 2022, which helped make him one of several developmental passers selected on Day 3 as teams looked to emulate the success the 49ers found with Brock Purdy in 2022. Given his experience in Cleveland in particular and the NFL in general, though, Dobbs represents a logical candidate for the backup position at this point.

With a top three at the QB depth chart seemingly settled, Easterling adds that the Browns are unlikely to retain Kellen Mond. The former Viking was claimed off waivers last August and he remained on Cleveland’s roster throughout the year. After the other moves made at the position this year, however, he is likely to find himself on the outside looking in come roster cutdowns at the end of the summer.

Browns To Bring Back QB Josh Dobbs

March 20th, 2023 at 8:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

8:17pm: The deal will save the Browns some at their QB2 spot. Dobbs agreed to a one-year deal worth $2MM fully guaranteed, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

6:26pm: Josh Dobbs spent much of last season in Cleveland, but he ended up in two other cities to close the campaign. Following Jacoby Brissett‘s Washington exit, the Browns are bringing his former understudy back.

The Browns are signing Dobbs to a one-year deal, according to his agent (on Twitter). This will be the second time in Dobbs’ career he will have reunited with a team. The ex-Steelers draftee enjoyed multiple stints in Pittsburgh as well, but he is now positioned to become Deshaun Watson‘s backup.

Originally added in April 2022 to back up Brissett while Watson served a suspension, the length of which being unknown at the time Dobbs signed. Dobbs ended up playing that role for 11 games. Brissett proved durable in Cleveland; Dobbs did not take a snap with the Browns last year. But he outplayed Malik Willis with the Titans, helping Tennessee provide Jacksonville a Week 18 scare despite being down many pieces on offense.

Between Cleveland and Nashville, Dobbs wound up in Detroit. But the Titans signed him off the Lions’ practice squad soon after the Lions picked him up. Ryan Tannehill ended up being lost for the season at that point, requiring more help in Tennessee. Despite being with the team barely a week, Dobbs overtook Willis as the Titans’ starter for the season’s final two games. In Week 18, he completed 20 of 29 passes for 179 yards in a 20-16 loss to the Jaguars.

The Browns have restructured Watson’s contract, adding a void year (2027) to it and spiking the starter’s cap numbers from 2024-26 into a new financial stratosphere. Watson is now tied to $63.9MM cap numbers in those seasons, and although the 2022 trade pickup’s 2023 cap figure dropped from $54.9MM to $19.1MM, it still makes sense for the Browns to add a low-cost backup. It should be expected Dobbs’ deal will check in south of Brissett’s 2022 money ($4.65MM).

Dobbs’ relevant NFL work almost all came in January. Despite arriving in the league as a 2017 fourth-round pick, Dobbs threw only 17 passes over his first five seasons. But the quarterback/rocket scientist worked in Kevin Stefanski‘s system for eight months last year and finished the season with some surprising contributions to the AFC South race. Although the Browns have former Vikings third-rounder Kellen Mond in their quarterback room, Dobbs’ role last year points to the elder passer having the leg up for the 2023 QB2 gig.

Titans Name Joshua Dobbs Week 18 Starter

January 2nd, 2023 at 12:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

Entering this week’s winner-take-all game to decide the AFC South, it had been an open question with respect to who the Titans would start at quarterback. Head coach Mike Vrabel put the issue to rest on Monday, naming Joshua Dobbs the team’s Week 18 starter.

The move comes as little surprise given the fact that the veteran got the nod for Tennessee’s Thursday night loss to the Cowboys. That decision, in turn, came just over one week after the veteran was signed off the Lions’ practice squad to give the team another healthy option under center.

Dobbs completed 20-of-39 passes last week, totaling 232 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The loss against Dallas carried zero playoff implications for the Titans, so they rested a number of key players to protect against injury in advance of their crucial matchup with the Jaguars. One starter who was sidelined out of necessity, of course, was starting signal-caller Ryan Tannehill.

Tannehill suffered an ankle injury in Week 15, and his availability for the remainder of the season remains very much in doubt. While the Pro Bowler has not been shut down this season, he is not expected to see the field again until next year. That pointed to rookie backup Malik Willis taking over for last week’s game as a means of gaining much-needed experience, but Dobbs was Vrabel’s preferred choice.

Today’s announcement confirms that Vrabel trusts Dobbs more at this point in his career than the third-rounder for a must-win contest, despite the lack of familiarity the former has within the team’s offense. In three starts this year, including Week 16, Willis has attempted only 49 passes and totaled 234 yards. He has added 95 yards on the ground over that span, at times demonstrating the dual-threat ability which made him one of the top options in the 2021 QB draft class.

Willis will once again remain on the sidelines for on Saturday, however, with the Titans’ playoff hopes resting on their ability to halt a six-game losing streak. There is a scenario in which the Jaguars could make the playoffs as a Wild Card team, but for Tennessee the only path to the playoffs is a division title which seemed all-but certain until recently. Their ability to win the AFC South will be decided in no small part by Dobbs’ ability to further acclimate himself to his newest team in the coming days.

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