Before Sunday's training camp practice, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell announced backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is stepping way from the team, and he'll likely retire for good this time around.
The Lions, rather than seriously pursue any other options, brought Bridgewater back for a third stint with the team back in March. Undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer has put himself in the conversation to stick around somewhere on the depth chart, but having him be a Jared Goff injury away from having to play is not ideal for a team with high aspirations this season.
Campbell, as could've been expected, said a veteran quarterback could be signed as soon as Monday.
Well, the move came quicker than that. According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo on Sunday, the Lions have signed Josh Dobbs to a one-year, $1.425 million contract with $475,000 guaranteed.
Josh Dobbs is the ideal replacement for Teddy Bridgewater as the Lions' No. 2 quarterback
In response to a list put out by his colleague John Whiticar after the news about Bridgewater, Erik Schlitt of Pride of Detroit pushed Dobbs to the top of the heap as a fit.
Josh Dobbs was in Detroit in 2022 (for a short stint) and then with Petzing and the Cardinals in 2023 https://t.co/Vsise9dN8t
— Erik Schlitt (@erikschlitt) August 9, 2026
Dobbs has had such a long list of teams he has spent time with that it's easy to forget he was briefly on the Lions' practice squad in 2022. There really isn't an NFL offense he hasn't spent time in.
Dobbs also has a notable ties to Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. He was traded from the Cleveland Browns to the Arizona Cardinals late in the 2023 preseason, as Petzing headed into his first season as Arizona's offensive coordinator. Dobbs started eight games for Arizona that season before Kyler Murray returned from his torn ACL.
The Cardinals acquiring Dobbs in the first place likely came with Petzing's influence. Dobbs did not play in any games for the Browns in 2022, but Petzing was his quarterbacks coach.
Bridgewater deciding to step away/retire was probably not shocking news to the Lions internally, as he likely brought it up to, at minimum, Campbell, pretty well before Sunday's public announcement. So feelers were surely put out there to veteran quarterbacks about being the Lions' QB2 days ago, and Dobbs will unsurprisingly be the guy.
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