Most likely you’ve heard: Joshua Dobbs graduated from the College of Tennessee with a point in aerospace engineering and a 4.0 GPA. The Minnesota Vikings quarterback has done an externship with NASA two times, labored at the website online of a SpaceX rocket origination and impressed the nickname “Passtronaut.”
It’s promoting Dobbs decrease, on the other hand, to indicate his perception isolated has powered his NFL run, becoming a member of the Vikings in Pace 9. He has navigated a completely distinctive revel in no longer simplest with smarts but additionally a piece ethic that has long past in large part overlooked amid the fascination with the left-overs of his tale.
Those that paintings within the Vikings observe facility get it. Past due within the afternoon on Nov. 3, defensive coordinator Brian Flores was once depart the development for the moment. It was once a Friday, a moment within the regimented NFL agenda that normally lets in for an early escape and a deep breath as competition preparation winds ill. As he handed the indoor observe garden, Flores spotted Dobbs and laborer quarterbacks lecturer Serve Udinski running isolated.
“I looked over and said, ‘I’m going to go pick up my kids.’ You guys can do that,” Flores stated. “I was not in awe, but you could see the work he was doing to get himself ready.”
This was once no longer an regular paintings consultation between lecturer and participant. The Vikings had bought Dobbs 3 days previous from the Arizona Cardinals as a result of they wanted a supplementary for rookie Jaren Hall, who could be making his first NFL get started that life in playground of the injured Kirk Cousins. They didn’t plan to play games Dobbs towards the Atlanta Falcons, regardless of his revel in in assimilating offenses in six alternative NFL stops. However they did want him to have no less than some seize on their offense in case Corridor was once injured towards the Falcons.
Over the process just about six hours, Dobbs and Udinski went thru each play games at the name sheet lecturer Kevin O’Connell deliberate to have at his disposal towards the Falcons — greater than 100 in general.
“We were trying to uncover every single stone,” Dobbs stated. “Basically doing a research project … to try to get up to speed on the offense and generate maybe some extra reps I would have missed from camp and OTAs and get on the same page with everyone to get the offense rolling in the right direction.”
Because it became out, the Vikings wanted Dobbs sooner than the primary quarter in Atlanta ended. A concussion sidelined Corridor nearest the group’s 1/3 ownership, however Dobbs entered to lead the team to an improbable victory, accounting for 224 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns even sooner than he knew the names of maximum of his teammates.
The Vikings are 2-2 since Dobbs entered that competition in Atlanta. Regardless of a rash of surrenders that contributed to consecutive losses sooner than the Pace 13 bye, he has stored them within the NFC playoff race underneath instances that normally scuttle a season. O’Connell determined towards changing him for Sunday’s competition on the Las Vegas Raiders (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox), announcing the Vikings wish to “dive deeper into what helps him be the best version of himself” — a vote of self assurance that gives a chance to track Dobbs’ go thru just about 1 / 4 of the NFL’s 32 groups. — Kevin Seifert
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers decided on Dobbs within the fourth around (one hundred and thirty fifth total) of the 2017 draft. He spent portions of 5 seasons in Pittsburgh from 2017-2021 however by no means began a competition.
Stats: 10-of-17 (58.8%) passing for 47 yards, 1 INT; 31 speeding yards
When offensive take on Chukwuma Okorafor joined the group as a third-round draft pick out in 2018, Dobbs had already been in Pittsburgh for a future. The 2 changed into rapid pals when Dobbs offered himself to Okorafor.
“First day I came here, he came up to me, was like, ‘Hey, I’m Josh,'” Okorafor stated. “As time went on my rookie year, he was always helping me or whatever I was doing with the scout team or just showing me what to do, taking me around town all the time.”
It didn’t whisk lengthy for Okorafor to appreciate that Dobbs was once a intriguing man — and no longer as a result of he bragged about being an actual week rocket scientist. He was once adept at assimilating to any crew within the attic room, a kind of chameleon in social conditions. It’s a component, Okorafor stated, that’s no doubt helped him as he’s ricocheted across the league.
“He just thinks about stuff a whole different way, but you can tell he’s not a guy who always tries to sound smart …” Okorafor stated. “He can legit hang out with anyone, like a P-squad guard that just came in the first day. He’s going to be best friends with him or a vet like Cam Heyward. He can hang around with any person anytime.”
Heyward is a obese fan of Dobbs, too. He vividly recollects the general 2018 preseason competition towards the Carolina Panthers the place Dobbs finished 8 of 12 makes an attempt for 121 yards and scored two touchdowns.
“That game always meant a lot to us, because it really determines if you make the team or not,” Heyward stated. “And just the way he played that game, you could tell he was seizing the opportunity. He’s a team player that a lot of guys love to be around. When his number’s been called, he’s always answered.” — Brooke Pryor
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars were given Dobbs in a Sept. 2019 industry with the Steelers for a fifth-round pick out. He spent a season in Jacksonville sooner than being waived on Sept. 5, 2020.
Stats: Dobbs by no means seemed in a regular-season competition for the Jaguars.
Jaguars left take on Cam Robinson knew who Dobbs was once as a result of he performed towards his Tennessee Volunteers 3 times moment he was once at Alabama. And Robinson knew, from the tales within the media, that Dobbs was once clever.
Which is why Robinson was once a minute shocked when he first met Dobbs nearest the Jaguars traded for him nearest quarterback Nick Foles suffered a damaged collarbone.
“I remember everybody always talking about him being incredibly smart, so the first time I met him, I don’t know if I had a preconceived notion of what to expect, but he was the most laid back and the most chill person ever,” Robinson stated.
Robinson has been extremely inspired with what Dobbs has achieved, particularly the way in which he stepped in and performed simply 5 days nearest becoming a member of the Vikings.
“I don’t even think people have an idea of how — I mean, obviously we know it’s hard — but bro, that s— is hard,” Robinson stated. “To be able to just go to a new team and pick it up is unbelievably hard. Indescribably hard, and he just rolls. It’s incredible to see.” — Michael DiRocco
Cleveland Browns
The Browns first of all signed Dobbs on March 14, 2022, sooner than waiving him that November when quarterback Deshaun Watson got here again from an 11-game suspense. They re-signed him to again up Watson in 2023 sooner than buying and selling him and a seventh-rounder to the Cardinals on Aug. 24 for a fifth-round pick out.
Stats: Dobbs by no means seemed in a regular-season competition for the Browns.
Dobbs, the lone Volunteer on a Browns roster filled with Alabama alums, would get into enough of faculty soccer arguments along with his Cleveland teammates.
Dobbs at one level quipped again with the precise level differential within the drives he was once at the garden as Tennessee’s quarterback in two video games towards Alabama moment Browns wideout Amari Cooper starred there.
Dobbs got here in all over the 2012 assembly nearest the Purple Wave already held a 35-0 top and fought Alabama to a 10-10 stalemate for a 45-10 ultimate. The then season, Dobbs subbed in once more, this hour with a 14-0 insufficiency. The overall rating ended up being 34-20, as soon as once more giving Dobbs the technical fasten towards Cooper.
“He’s one of those guys that looks at life from the perspective of, how you do anything is how you do everything,” Cooper stated. “I know a lot of football players who want to be great at football and excel at football but didn’t do so well in school. [Dobbs] is the complete opposite. He’s more so like I’m going to be great in football, I’m going to be great in school, I’m going to be great in every aspect of life.”
Over his two-time stint in Cleveland, Dobbs changed into one of the vital common gamers within the attic room. Terminating future, Cleveland waived Dobbs nearest Watson returned, clearing the way in which for the Tennessee Titans to select him up.
The Browns have been at their resort in Pittsburgh closing future for his or her regular-season finale, when Dobbs was once making his 2d profession get started for Tennessee on a Saturday night time.
A number of Cleveland gamers, together with safeguard Joel Bitonio, working again Nick Chubb, tight finish David Njoku and quarterback Jacoby Brissett collected within the resort meal room for a Dobbs keep an eye on celebration.
“We’re getting hyped and screaming and people are like, ‘What are these guys getting so pumped about?'” Bitonio recalled. “They ended up losing the game, but he played really well and we were so pumped for him because we saw the work he put in behind the scenes.
“He had that talent to narrate to anyone. Only a man that everyone will get in conjunction with.”
Browns rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson said Dobbs taught him how to be a professional during their time together in the offseason and training camp before Dobbs was traded to the Cardinals.
Thompson-Robinson said Dobbs showed him how to take notes in meetings with Browns head coach and offensive playcaller Kevin Stefanski.
“[Dobbs] asks the correct questions,” Thompson-Robinson said. “And upcoming how one can function, how one can maintain the iPad, how one can maintain simply being a professional.” — Jake Trotter
Detroit Lions
After he was cut by the Browns in 2022, the Lions signed Dobbs to their practice squad on Dec. 5, 2022. But he wasn’t there for long.
Stats: Dobbs was never on the Lions’ 53-man roster.
Lions wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones played with Dobbs with the Browns, and was impressed with who he was away from football.
“In Cleveland, he took us all to mainly a NASA station to be informed in regards to the planes and know about what they have been doing in that NASA status and it’s roughly a testomony to the kind of man he’s off the garden, which I think like is helping him at the garden,” Peoples-Jones told ESPN.
Peoples-Jones said Dobbs offered a signup sheet for players to attend the NASA field trip.
“It was once splendid as it’s no longer one thing that you simply get to do ceaselessly,” Peoples-Jones said. “You don’t get to be informed in regards to the issues that they virtue in length and be capable of proceed right into a room and notice all of the other controls and issues that they get to do with out any person like him serving to bridge that hole, so it was once a pleasant revel in.” — Eric Woodyard
Tennessee Titans
The Titans added Dobbs to their 53-man roster on Dec. 21, 2022, signing him off the Lions’ practice squad. Eight days later, on a Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys, Dobbs was tabbed to start. He also started the Titans’ season finale against the Jaguars.
Stats: 40-of-68 (58.8%) passing for 411 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 44 rushing yards
It took until his sixth NFL season for Dobbs to get his first start. Like many former teammates, wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine was blown away by how quickly Dobbs was able to assimilate a new offense.
“It in reality didn’t look like he skipped a beat. It was once virtually like he was once with us all over the ones minicamp and coaching camp instances.”
Tight finish Chigoziem Okonkwo was once additionally in surprise of Dobbs’ talent to evolve.
“I simply have in mind being inspired with how he got here in. I feel it was once like a Thursday or Friday morning. He discovered all of the stuff he wanted to be informed in like a moment or two … I used to be like, ‘Rattling. How the hell did he do this?'” — Turron Davenport
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals traded for Dobbs on Aug. 24, 2023, and he was once temporarily named the starter moment Kyler Murray recovered from offseason ACL surgery on his right knee. It was Dobbs’ first chance to lead an offense for a prolonged stretch, starting eight games before being traded to the Vikings.
Stats: 167-of-266 (62.8%) passing for 1,569 yards, 8 TDs, 5 INTs; 258 rushing yards, 3 TDs
Geoff Swaim had seen it before.
The Cardinals tight end was with the Titans in 2022 when Dobbs arrived in Nashville in Week 15, learned the offense and then started a week later. So, when Swaim welcomed Dobbs after he was traded to the Cardinals on Aug. 24, he watched Dobbs do the same thing — he learned an offense, albeit one he was familiar with from his time with the Browns, in a couple of weeks and then went out and started after just a handful of practices.
“He simply jumps proper in, choices the offense up, begins rolling and operated in reality successfully,” Swaim said. “I’m no longer certain I may do this taking part in tight finish, and now believe taking part in quarterback. I’m quite positive I couldn’t do this in a life to play games my place, however him doing that at quarterback is simply important.”
From the time Dobbs sat in his first QB meeting in Arizona, he fit in, Cardinals quarterback Clayton Tune said. It didn’t take long for Dobbs to start teaching things about the offense to Tune, who had been working in it since he was drafted in April.
What stood out to Tune was how well Dobbs was able to digest and deploy Arizona’s game plans without the months of work to learn the intricacies of the scheme.
“I think like our competition plans have been simply as complicated as they’d’ve been with a quarterback that were right here for for much longer than him,” Tune said. “So, choosing up the complicated competition plan and figuring out all of the run assessments, the go assessments was once noteceable.”
His former teammates in Arizona have been watching Dobbs.
“It’s splendid,” Murray said Dobbs’ opportunity in Minnesota. “For him to be within the league this lengthy and to in any case roughly get his alternative to turn community his talent and the way he can put a stamp on a competition is just right for him.” — Josh Weinfuss
Minnesota Vikings
Upcoming shedding quarterback Kirk Cousins in Week 8 to an Achilles injury to his right foot, the Vikings acquired Dobbs and a conditional seventh-rounder from the Cardinals for a sixth-round pick. Dobbs was forced into game action five days later.
Stats: 63-of-96 (65.6%) passing for 647 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT; 131 rushing yards, 3 TDs
Upon his arrival in Minnesota, Dobbs was assigned a locker that had been previously occupied by a practice squad running back. One of the first personal objects he put into it was a rugby ball.
The purpose was simple. In baseball, players routinely place a weighted donut around their bats for practice swings. When they’re removed, the bat is lighter and seems easier to generate speed in the swing.
“A rugby ball is a minute larger than an ordinary soccer,” Dobbs said, “and it’s a minute slicker. So upcoming whilst you put a pleasant QB ball to your hand, it feels lovely just right.”
Dobbs uses the ball during prepractice warmups. As tempting as it is to attribute the habit to engineering or physiological research, however, Dobbs said it isn’t that complicated.
“There’s incorrect science,” he said. “I’m no longer going to sit down up right here and operate like there may be. It’s simply one thing I began doing one offseason. I noticed a receiver lecturer who was once throwing the ball to receivers, so upcoming … I used to be throwing the rugby ball a pair instances, and I switched again to the soccer and it felt just right. So, I incorporate it.”
At the time of his trade from the Cardinals, Dobbs had reached a personal milestone: He had been with a team long enough to move all of his personal items into a home. Just as he had settled into a Phoenix suburb, however, the Vikings came calling.
So Dobbs hopped on a plane with enough clothes for a week or so and prepared to resume the itinerant hotel life. He didn’t have his car yet and didn’t bother to rent one, instead camping out in a hotel that is in the same complex as the Vikings’ practice facility. He ate every meal in the team’s cafeteria, he said, before signing an apartment lease at the end of his second week in Minnesota.
On one of his final days in the hotel, Dobbs stumbled into the Vikings’ annual gathering of former players and other organizational alumni. He got on an elevator with several of them — he isn’t steeped enough in team history yet to know who they were — and had a “pinch me” moment.
“They have been, like, ‘Oh, you’re the quarterback,'” Dobbs said. “And so they have been so excited simply to be right here in Minnesota, be again round soccer and again across the facility. And simply feeling that power, guy, and feeling that popularity from guys that experience performed a bundle extra snaps than I’ve, have had illustrious careers. And simply to peer that pleasure, it intended a bundle to me.
“And so, yeah, in the moment it was a cool moment just to be able to take it all in and enjoy that quick fellowship with them just as football players but also [for them to] respect the position that I’m in.” — Seifert
