The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted quarterback Joshua Dobbs in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. There wasn't a lot of expectation for Dobbs with the Steelers. However, fans knew he was highly intelligent, as he was an Aerospace Engineering major with a 4.0 GPA and had interned for NASA. He also played quarterback, and fans assumed that because of his success in college, both on and off the field, he might have a chance to make an impact in Pittsburgh when Ben Roethlisberger retired.
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Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger talks over some game film with Josh Dobbs during a home game at the then Heinz Field.
Dobbs' time in Pittsburgh was short-lived, and he didn't achieve much. In the 2018 season, he played in five games, completing six of his 12 passes for 43 passing yards and one interception. After the 2018 season, Dobbs was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was eventually picked back up by his former team, the Steelers, off waivers in 2020. In August of 2021, he was placed on the Injured Reserve, ending his time with the Steelers.
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Former Steelers quarterback, Joshua Dobbs (#5) makes a pass in front of ex-Offensive Coordinator, Matt Canada during 2021 training camp at then-Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA.
Dobbs has been a journeyman, making significant stops with the Arizona Cardinals and the Minnesota Vikings. During the 2023 season in November, Dobbs had a career moment when he had to enter the game for an injured Vikings quarterback. Dobbs hadn't taken a practice rep, didn't know the playbook, and didn't know his teammates' names.
He somehow led the Vikings to a comeback 31-28 win, throwing for 158 yards and scoring three touchdowns. Before all of that, he had played in the same quarterback room with Roethlisberger. Dobbs joined The Victory Degree podcast to share his unique experience of playing with an NFL legend like Roethlisberger.
"My experience in Pittsburgh was very unique. When you have a quarterback like Big Ben, and the amount of control and command that he has of the offense when he has been playing the same system for 15 years is different from when you have a quarterback that you draft and you need 'em to play day one. I think like the time and attention that you get as a young guy is completely different in those circumstances. So, like with Big Ben, it's a lot of on-the-job learning. Honestly, there wasn't a ton of structure in our offense, 'cause Big Ben… he didn't play with a ton of structure. He loved making audibles, he was in complete control of the system. Shoot, he was calling plays on the field a lot."
Dobbs explained that his time playing with Roethlisberger was very unique because of the trust that the iconic quarterback had built up over his remarkable career.
"The coolest thing that I learned from that experience was, alright, this guy's been playing for 15 years. He has every tool in his tool belt. How can I slowly build my tool belt so that whenever I get my opportunity I can have that same field vision and control of an offense and continue to grow from there? So yeah, like I had to teach myself a lot of stuff in Pittsburgh, but I also learned a ton from a guy like Big Ben and like a ton of stuff that I used last year just from in-game checks to a lot of stuff in just the preparation leading up in the week. He was really good with his cadence. I learned a lot of really good things from him on that. There's a ton of stuff I took from his game and I enjoyed that experience."
Steelers' Josh Dobbs Used His Time With Ben Roethlisberger To Help Him During 2023
Dobbs revealed that during the 2023 season, when he went on his magical run, he had actually used some of the tools he learned from Roethlisberger. For Dobbs, his career has been filled with a lot of attempts and a lot of failure. However, he has built a career in the NFL that has kept him around and kept him getting paid.
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Former Steelers QB Josh Dobbs scrambles away from Browns defender.
In March of 2024, Dobbs signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers. It does not appear that Dobbs will ever be a consistent starter in the NFL, but he has done enough to stick around on NFL rosters. Dobbs' experience playing and learning from Roethlisberger is unique and opens eyes as to what type of teammate the future Hall of Famer really was.
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