The Detroit Lions wasted little time bringing in a new backup quarterback after Teddy Bridgewater’s abrupt retirement on Sunday.
The Lions are signing quarterback Josh Dobbs to a one-year contract. Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that the deal is for $1.425 million, a fairly significant commitment that indicates the Lions fully intend for Dobbs to be Jared Goff’s new backup.
The #Lions are signing veteran Josh Dobbs to a one-year, $1.425 million deal with $475k fully guaranteed, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 9, 2026
It’s a significant commitment to Dobbs as the No. 2 quarterback after Teddy Bridgewater’s retirement. pic.twitter.com/UjQ8lUBXB4
Detroit’s decision to bring in Dobbs may seem quick, but the organization does have a tiny bit of familiarity with him. He spent roughly two weeks on the team’s practice squad in 2022, just before he first came to prominence with the Arizona Cardinals the next season.
Dobbs got his first chance to start in Arizona in 2023 while Kyler Murray was recovering from his ACL tear. The Minnesota Vikings brought him in after Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending injury and he immediately won them a game in rather remarkable fashion. Those showings briefly made him look like a potentially valuable option in free agency, but he was ultimately benched by the Vikings before the season ended after struggling the rest of the way. He spent last season as Drake Maye’s backup with the New England Patriots.
The Lions signed Dobbs within hours of Bridgewater deciding to call it a career. They had signed him earlier in the offseason with the intention of making him their backup for 2026.
