Report: New England Patriots sign Joshua Dobbs to two-year deal

The New England Patriots will sign quarterback Joshua Dobbs to a two-year deal, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero. Dobbs will reportedly make $8 million total according to his new contract with $3.8 million of that guaranteed.

This will be the ninth NFL team that Dobbs has played for since joining the league in 2017 as a fourth-round pick out of Tennessee. He was most recently on the San Francisco 49ers for the 2024 season, finishing with 361 yards passing, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Dobbs has primarily been a backup for the majority of his career, and he started just one game this past season while filling in for an injury. He also started a combined 12 games with the Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings in the 2023 season, throwing for a career-best 2,464 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions that year.

At college in Knoxville, Dobbs started each of his final two seasons as Tennessee went 9-4 both years. His senior season ended up being his best yet and he finished with 2,946 yards passing, 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

The Patriots are coming off of a 4-13 finish this past season and hired Mike Vrabel as their next coach. Drake Maye is their starting quarterback after being selected third overall last season and Dobbs will likely back him up.

Report: New England Patriots discussing Joe Milton trade after Josh Dobbs signing

The New England Patriots have reportedly had discussions on trading quarterback Joe Milton III, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. The news came just a few hours after the Dobbs signing was reported.

If a deal is done, it would send Milton “to the right situation to continue his development in the NFL,” per Schultz’s report. Milton threw for 241 yards on 22 of 29 passing and a touchdown during his lone start against the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 5 during the team’s regular season finale.

The New England Patriots took two quarterbacks during the 2024 NFL Draft. The first was Drake Maye, who New England took with the No. 3 overall pick. Milton was the second, going 193rd overall in the sixth round.

Maye started 13 games for New England during his rookie season, passing for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. It is assumed that he will be the starting quarterback moving forward, while Dobbs serves as the backup.

For Milton, it’s not a done deal that he’s on his way out of New England as of this report. However, it appears he’s the third option in the Patriots’ QB room after they acquired Dobbs on Monday, who is another product of the Tennessee Volunteers.

On3’s Barkley Truax contributed to this report.