The Detroit Lions have signed backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs of Alpharetta, Georgia according to Xavier Burton of the Knoxville News Sentinel on Monday. The terms of the contract are for one year and worth $1.425 million. Of the $1.425 million, a total of $475,000 is guaranteed.
Dobbs will be backing up Jared Goff of Novato, California. Goff is a three-time Pro Bowler, who has been the Lions starting quarterback the last five years.
A journeyman quarterback, Dobbs has been a backup for the majority of his career. He is joining his seventh NFL franchise after being with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2018 and 2020), the Tennessee Titans (2022), the Arizona Cardinals (2023), Minnesota Vikings (2023), San Francisco 49ers (2024), and New England Patriots (2025).
This past season, Dobbs completed seven of 10 passes for 65 passing yards. He was a backup quarterback in New England behind Drake Maye.
The reason why the Lions needed to bring Dobbs on board is because quarterback Teddy Bridgewater of Miami, Florida retired at the age of 33 according to Jack McKessy of USA Today on Sunday. Bridgewater signed a one-year contract with the Lions worth $1.8 million on March 24.
Bridgewater was to make his second stint with the Lions after previously being with Detroit in 2023. He was also with the Minnesota Vikings (2014, 2015 and 2017), the New Orleans Saints (2018 and 2019), the Carolina Panthers (2020), the Denver Broncos (2021), the Miami Dolphins (2022), and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2025).
This past season, Bridgewater completed eight passes in 15 attempts for 65 yards while backing up Baker Mayfield. He also had three rushes for four yards with the Buccaneers.
In 11 NFL seasons, Bridgewater completed 1380 passes in 2082 attempts for 15182 passing yards, with 75 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. He also had 242 rushes for 848 rushing yards and 11 touchdown runs.
Bridgewater was selected to the Pro Bowl with the Vikings in 2015. That year he completed 292 passes in 447 attempts for 3231 yards, and had 14 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He also 44 rushes for 192 rushing yards, and three rushing touchdowns.
At the college level, Bridgewater played at the University of Louisville. He was then drafted in the first round, 32nd overall by the Vikings in the 2014 NFL Draft.
This was the second time Bridgewater retired. He initially did not play the 2024 NFL season, and came out of retirement to join the Buccaneers in 2025.
