Joshua Dobbs – Syndication Server

Brock Purdy contract isn’t 49ers only QB question in 2025

Who’s backing up Brock Purdy?

Brock Purdy’s impending contract extension will rightfully dominate the quarterback conversation around the San Francisco 49ers this offseason, but it’s not the lone question mark at the QB position for them.

While Purdy is do to get a new deal that figures to make him one of the NFL’s highest-paid signal callers, San Francisco also has to figure out what they’re going to do behind Purdy.

QBs Joshua Dobbs and Brandon Allen are both slated to hit free agency in the offseason. That leaves 2024 undrafted rookie Tanner Mordecai as the only other QB on the roster.

At a minimum the 49ers need to add another QB, and they’ll probably look to add two so they have four on their offseason roster. It’s hard to believe they’ll roll into next year with Mordecai as Purdy’s backup, even if they’re happy with Mordecai’s development in his rookie season.

It stands to reason Dobbs may not want to return to a situation where he won’t have a chance to start. He spent most of 2024 as the third-string QB behind Purdy and Allen.

Allen acquitted himself well in his lone start of the year in Green Bay, but he fell behind Dobbs on the depth chart for the final game of the season when Purdy was out with a right elbow injury. It’s not a slam dunk that the 49ers are fine with Allen as their QB2 again next year.

What San Francisco can’t afford to do is ignore the position given what happened at the end of the 2024 season when Purdy took a helmet to the elbow in Week 17 and had to miss the season finale. After nearly two full seasons of healthy QB play it became easy to forget the injury-driven tumult that under center that preceded Purdy.

He hasn’t been hurt as often as a player like Jimmy Garoppolo, but the need to insulate themselves from a QB injury is still there. Finding a player they believe can step in and win some games if Purdy has to miss time is imperative to the 49ers’ offseason to-do list.

Perhaps it’s Allen. He lost his start in Green Bay, but head coach Kyle Shanahan was complimentary of the veteran’s performance in his first start since 2021. Perhaps it’s Dobbs after his 326-yard outing against the Arizona Cardinals. Perhaps it’s Mordecai or a 2025 draft pick.

Whoever it winds up being, it has to be a player the 49ers are confident in. Simply throwing any inexpensive player behind Purdy on the depth chart puts the team in a precarious position where an injury to the QB ostensibly ends their season. Purdy’s injury late in 2024 highlighted that reality and the 49ers need to make sure they address it properly in 2025.

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Joshua Dobbs starts for San Francisco in regular-season finale

Former Vol Joshua Dobbs starts NFL regular-season finale for San Francisco.

Arizona (8-9) defeated San Francisco (6-11), 47-24, Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona during Week 18 of the 2024 NFL season.

Former Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs started the regular-season finale for the 49ers. He completed 29-of-43 passing attempts for 326 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Dobbs also totaled 17 yards and one touchdown on eight rushing attempts.

Dobbs played for the Cardinals and Minnesota in 2023.

He signed a one-year contract with the 49ers worth $2.25 million in guaranteed money and $750,000 in incentives.

Dobbs played quarterback for the Vols from 2013-16 under head coach Butch Jones.

He totaled 7,138 passing yards, 53 passing touchdowns, 2,160 rushing yards, 32 rushing rushing touchdowns, 62 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns for Tennessee.

Dobbs was selected by Pittsburgh in the fourth-round of the 2017 NFL draft (No. 135 overall).

He also played for the Steelers (2017-19, 2020-21), Jacksonville (2019), Cleveland (2022), Tennessee (2022), Arizona (2023) and Minnesota (2023) in the NFL.

Why Joshua Dobbs was chosen as 49ers new starting QB

Why the 49ers made a change at QB with Brock Purdy out:

It looks like the San Francisco 49ers won’t have quarterback Brock Purdy for their season finale against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Week 18 will mark the second game Purdy has missed this season, but this time the starter in his stead will be different. Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Wednesday announced Joshua Dobbs would get the start ahead of Brandon Allen, who has been Purdy’s backup for virtually the entire season.

According to Shanahan, the change from Allen to Dobbs has more to do with the personnel surrounding the QBs than either player’s performance. He confirmed the switch was because San Francisco is down so many offensive lineman, and Dobbs’ mobility gives the 49ers offense a better chance to be successful. Dobbs has 503 rushing yards and seven career rushing touchdowns, including a seven-yard TD scamper in Monday night’s loss to the Detroit Lions. Allen has 68 yards on 36 carries in his career.

Shanahan heaped praise on both signal callers though, giving an indication that one or both may be back in 2025.

“(Dobbs has) been great, him and Brandon,” said Shanahan. “They’ve been two good guys to have there. I’ve kind of looked at both of them as our two throughout the year. Kind of a little bit what I said in preseason. But they both have done really good looks on scout team, they split all the reps there. They’re always ready. They both prepare like they’re going to be a starter every week, so they’ve been great.”

If the 49ers can’t retain both Allen and Dobbs when they hit free agency in the offseason, Dobbs’ performance Sunday may determine how much San Francisco prioritizes bringing him back.

Undrafted rookie Tanner Mordecai is another other option if the 49ers don’t bring back one or both of Allen and Dobbs. While he wasn’t in the mix to be the starter Sunday because he hasn’t gotten enough reps behind the other two QBs, Shanahan said Mordecai has found other ways to make the most of his first NFL season.

“It’s always tough having four, just because of the reps,” said Shanahan. “So I mean, that’s kind of, (Minnesota Vikings QB) Nick Mullens his first year, I think he was the fourth and he got scout-team reps at safety until basically his first start. So that does happen. You’ve got to find ways to get the work in, but he’s taken advantage of his time here too.”

Dobbs performed well in his handful of snaps in Monday night’s loss after Purdy went down with a right elbow injury. If he puts together another strong outing behind a patchwork offensive line, he may quickly become San Francisco’s second-biggest offseason priority at QB behind Purdy and his contract extension.

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49ers name starting QB for Week 18 vs. Cardinals

It’s a new starting QB for San Francisco on Sunday.

The San Francisco 49ers have named their starting quarterback for their Week 18 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.

With starting QB Brock Purdy working through an elbow injury he sustained in the 49ers’ Week 17 loss to the Detroit Lions, Joshua Dobbs will get the start under center according to head coach Kyle Shanahan. Brandon Allen, who started the team’s Week 12 game in Green Bay, will be the backup.

Dobbs was the backup Monday night and played well in a brief stint after Purdy exited the game. He went 3-for-4 for 34 yards through the air, and scored a seven-yard rushing touchdown.

Sunday in Arizona will mark the 15th start of Dobbs’ career. He made eight starts for the Cardinals last year and went 1-7. In his career he’s 3-11 as a starter, completing 62.3 percent of his throws for 2,955 yards with 15 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

The announcement is further evidence QB Brock Purdy will be absent from Sunday’s game. Purdy is dealing with a contusion on his elbow after taking a hit while getting sacked late in the fourth quarter of Monday’s loss. Barring a miraculous turnaround, his 2024 season will be over.

Dobbs may be playing for a long-term backup job in San Francisco. He and Allen are both slated to be free agents in the offseason. The 49ers will need a new backup signal caller unless they’re enamored with undrafted rookie Tanner Mordecai who has been on the practice squad all season.

The 49ers and Cardinals kick off at 1:25pm Pacific Time from State Farm Stadium.

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Vikings’ Sam Darnold labeled a ‘free agency steal’ by NFL analyst

Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report believes the Minnesota Vikings got a steal in free agency with the signing of quarterback Sam Darnold.

The Minnesota Vikings were caught between a rock and a hard place this off-season. It was clear to most people that former starting quarterback Kirk Cousins wouldn’t be back with the team. He was an impending free agent in his mid-30s coming off a serious injury, and looking for a major payday. It just was never in the cards for him to return under the circumstances.

But what were the Vikings going to do at quarterback in his absence? They seemingly hadn’t prepared very well for life after Cousins, and they were left with either the prospect of throwing a rookie quarterback into the fire immediately or signing a re-tread in hopes he could provide a bridge to the young quarterback.

The Vikings opted for the second route and signed former New York Jets first-round pick Sam Darnold. According to Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report, that decision is already one of the biggest steals of the offseason.

Moton recently identified eight players who already look like free agency steals in training camp, and among them is the much-maligned quarterback. Darnold—at least so far in Vikings camp—has been performing well and showing folks that, while he may never live up to the position he was drafted at, he can be a serviceable quarterback in this league.

That’s all the Vikings need. Minnesota just barely missed out on a playoff berth last season, with the trio of Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall, and Joshua Dobbs starting games for them. If Darnold can provide the team with slightly more production — or, at the very least, fewer drive-killing turnovers — the Vikings have a chance to be playoff contenders this season.

Getting that from a quarterback making just $10 million– especially in today’s quarterback market- qualifies as a steal.

Former Tennessee quarterbacks by the numbers in NFL preseason Week 1

Former Vol quarterbacks by the numbers in NFL preseason Week 1.

Three former Tennessee quarterbacks competed during Week 1 of the 2024 NFL preseason.

New England defeated Carolina, 17-3, Thursday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Rookie Joe Milton III completed 4-of-6 passing attempts for 54 yards and one touchdown for the Patriots. He recorded 22 rushing yards on five attempts.

The Giants defeated Detroit, 14-3, Thursday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Quarterback Hendon Hooker completed 5-of-9 passing attempts for 36 yards against New York. He also recorded 34 rushing yards on 34 attempts.

Tennessee defeated San Francisco, 17-13, on Saturday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.

Joshua Dobbs completed 14-of-20 passing attempts for 146 yards and one interception for the 49ers. He totaled six yards and one touchdown on one rushing attempt.

PHOTOS: Tennessee starting quarterbacks through the years

Joshua Dobbs signs with San Francisco

Former Vol Joshua Dobbs signs with San Francisco.

Former Vol Joshua Dobbs signed with San Francisco.

Dobbs played for Arizona and Minnesota last season.

He signed a one-year contract with the 49ers worth $2.25 million in guaranteed money and $750,000 in incentives.

Dobbs played quarterback at Tennessee from 2013-16 under head coach Butch Jones.

He totaled 7,138 passing yards, 53 passing touchdowns, 2,160 rushing yards, 32 rushing rushing touchdowns, 62 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns for the Vols.

Dobbs was selected by Pittsburgh in the fourth-round of the 2017 NFL draft (No. 135 overall).

He played for the Steelers (2017-19, 2020-21), Jacksonville (2019), Cleveland (2022), Tennessee (2022), Arizona (2023) and Minnesota (2023) in the NFL.

PHOTOS: A look at Joshua Dobbs through the years

Why 49ers adding QB Josh Dobbs makes sense

Here’s why the #49ers signed another veteran quarterback:

The 49ers are set to sign veteran signal caller Josh Dobbs to a one-year contract. Dobbs’ agent announced the agreement on Twitter Monday afternoon.

Dobbs is the second quarterback the 49ers have signed this offseason. He’ll join Brandon Allen and Brock Purdy in San Francisco’s QB room.

It looked like the 49ers might be content with Allen as their QB2 and a draft pick sitting as the emergency third signal caller. Instead they brought in Dobbs to presumably compete for the backup QB job, leaving Allen to potentially work in as the emergency third QB on game days. That opens the door for a rookie to work out with the practice squad assuming he doesn’t pull a Purdy and beat out one of the veterans for a roster spot out of camp.

Dobbs is an intriguing addition though with plenty of upside. His Cinderella run with the Vikings fell flat after just a couple of weeks, but Dobbs showed during his 12 starts last year with the Cardinals and Vikings that he’s a capable starting QB in the NFL.

There are warts to his game, to be sure. Sometimes he has too much faith in his arm and his accuracy can be erratic, but he’s a mobile QB with enough upside that he’s a viable backup for a team like the 49ers. And backup QB is an extremely important position in San Francisco.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Dobbs will earn $2.25 million fully guaranteed with up to $750,000 in playing time incentives.

Purdy made it easy to forget the 49ers’ recent history with injuries under center. His healthy 2023 campaign though will unlikely erase the scars left by all the previous seasons the 49ers saw derailed because of an injury to the starting QB. They may have confidence that Allen can go win a few games if he’s pushed into a starting role, but he’s hardly done enough as a pro to warrant that level of confidence out of camp.

Now instead of competing with a rookie, he’ll be competing with a bonafide NFL QB who’ll either be better or force Allen to earn the all-important QB2 job.

Adding another quarterback didn’t appear to be super high on the 49ers’ list of offseason needs, but they were able to find a third at an affordable price that should ultimately improve their QB room regardless of whether he winds up as QB2 or QB3.

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Ranking 2024’s top 12 free-agent quarterbacks

Here are the top 12 quarterbacks who are about to hit the open market

The Carolina Panthers certainly won’t be on the lookout for a quarterback this offseason—at least as far as their main roster is concerned. But let’s rank the ones who are about to hit the open market anyway.

Here are the top 12 free-agent quarterbacks of the 2024 offseason:

Which losses should the Saints regret most from the 2023 season?

The Saints were one win away from making the playoffs. Which losses should they regret the most from the past season?

The New Orleans Saints missed the playoffs by one game. Their 9-8 record put them just one win outside of both the NFC South title race and the competition for a wild-card seed. If the Saints were 10-7, they wouldn’t even have to worry about any tiebreakers. They’d be hosting a home playoff game.

While their record is a good reflection of exactly how the team performed this season, which losses should the Saints look back at with the most regret? It’s easy to point to defeats to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers early in the 2023 season. Those are the teams who were directly ahead of the Saints in the playoff race. However, the Buccaneers were simply the better team when they travelled to New Orleans. The 26-9 final tally speaks for itself.

The Saints should regret the Green Bay Packers game more, though. New Orleans had a large lead headed into the fourth quarter. Even with Derek Carr’s injury, the Saints should have won that game. The struggling offense may have been the story of the year, but the normally-reliable defense was its backbone. Losing that game was on Dennis Allen’s defense, which allowed back-to-back 80-yard touchdown drives. The quarterback doesn’t play on that side of the ball.

The team should also regret their midseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings. I don’t think this one takes much explanation. Losing to Joshua Dobbs was bad. At the time, it seemed to be a part of Dobbs’ story of beating the odds. Less than a month later he was on the bench. New Orleans shouldn’t have lost that game. If the Saints defeat the Packers or Vikings they’re in the playoffs. Instead, they’re watching the postseason from home for another January.

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