Josh Dobbs: Quarterback Genius

11/16/2023

By: Marissa Kasch

3 Teams in 1 Season? Here’s Why Everyone Will Regret Not Taking a Chance on The Underdog Genius

The NFL seems to cycle through big names. Some become evergreen due to the player’s continued talent and performance, while others fade away just as quickly as they came. Years ago, it was Patrick Mahomes. He’s evergreen, obviously. Preseason, it was the Aaron Rodgers and Sean Payton feud. Big evergreen names, but the news went away when the Broncos couldn’t perform and Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury. They’ll be back, though, because they’re evergreen. In the beginning of the season, it was Rams rookie Puka Nacua, who broke the NFL record for most receptions through the first eight games of a pro career. The jury is still out on him, depending how he finishes the season. Now, there’s a new guy on the block, and his name is Josh Dobbs. He’s the current big name of the NFL, on his way to finding an evergreen home, but his success didn’t come overnight.

 

Fans in Minneapolis grew restless and worried when Kirk Cousins went down with a season-ending Achilles injury two weeks ago. However, their concerns were mitigated when Josh Dobbs took the field. Since taking over in Minnesota, Dobbs has thrown for 436 yards and three touchdowns, with over a 70% completion rate and no turnovers. Additionally, he has also scored two rushing touchdowns. Perhaps most importantly, he has led the Vikings to two consecutive wins, bringing them to 6-4 on the season. If you don’t know Josh Dobbs by now, you should.

 

Quarterback and Brainiac

Simply put, Dobbs is the superhero Minnesota needed. But he spent most of his life being more of a bookworm than a traditional superhero. He studied aerospace engineering at the University of Tennessee. Before committing to the Vols, Dobbs demanded a meeting with the academic department heads. From there, he balanced academics and football excellently, maintaining a 4.0 GPA while starring as the Tennessee quarterback.

 

As we saw in college, it is evident that Dobbs will continue to pursue his own intellectual interests regardless of whether he plays football. When he was with the Jaguars (2019), he spent a month at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center where he was able to witness the monumental SpaceX launch and work as an aerospace engineer within NASA. His high IQ is apparent both on and off the field and has undoubtedly contributed to teams coveting the QB as their insurance option over the years.

 

Fun Fact: Dobbs has played for seven teams over the course of seven seasons; Steelers, Jaguars, Lions, Titans, Browns, Cardinals, and now Vikings.

 

Dobbs’ Diagnosis 

Dobbs’ underdog is particularly unique after he was diagnosed with alopecia, an autoimmune disease that often causes significant hair loss, in third grade. He had completely shaved his head by the time he got to Tennessee. Growing up, alopecia was a struggle for Dobbs. His own struggles inspired his contributions to the alopecia community in various ways. While he was with the Cardinals, he went to a local high school to talk about alopecia and provide support for others. He also took to social media to spread positivity and promote resilience among those with alopecia by posting with a Cardinals cheerleader who also had the disease. In 2019, he spoke at an alopecia conference in Seattle after becoming a national spokesperson for the National Alopecia Areata Foundation. Dobbs said he is happy to serve as an inspiration and help others come to terms with their struggle. As if his work with other alopecia patients isn’t impressive enough, he also has his own philanthropic foundation: the ASTROrdinary Dobbs Foundation. The foundation aims to help the less fortunate and inspire the youth through community service, economic empowerment, and educational initiatives. Talk about an underdog helping the underdogs!

 

Another Roadblock

Dobbs is smart, charitable, and pretty good at football from what we’ve seen. So, his rise to this role must have been pretty standard, right? You’d think so. But the answer is no – not even close. He was sent to Minneapolis on Halloween, just before the trade deadline. The Vikings are the third team he’s been a part of this season alone after being traded from the Browns and Cardinals. However, the 36 hours before he was traded would have been enough to make anyone’s head spin. The Cardinals told Dobbs he was starting before changing their minds and telling him he was benched. Then, he was told that though he was benched, he wouldn’t be released or traded. Just hours after that promise, he was off to Minnesota. Unfortunately, that whole debacle was nothing new for Dobbs. He struggled to take the field at most stops, even in college, starting only 37 times over his four years at Tennessee, mostly in his junior and senior seasons. He’s also been a backup who has bounced around from team to team. But this could be different…

 

The Vikings Next Guy?

We haven’t seen enough from him yet, but what we have seen has been impeccable. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said he was excited about what Dobbs’ mobility and unique playing style could do for the Vikings in the absence of Kirk Cousins. However, Cousins won’t be back anytime soon, and Minnesota will likely need a starting quarterback to open next season. Can Dobbs keep up these electric performances to take the underdog Vikings (once 0-3) to the playoffs and secure the job? This could be his evergreen moment. Minnesota’s upcoming matchups are winnable: They face the Broncos in Denver, the Bears at home, and the Raiders in Las Vegas. If Dobbs can capitalize on those matchups, the Vikings will be in the playoff conversation sooner rather than later.

 

Josh Dobbs. Quarterback genius. An underdog worth rooting for.

 

Photo: Stephen Maturen / Getty Images