Why the Patriots Are Moving on From Drake Maye’s Backup, Josh Dobbs

New England’s quarterback room is down to just two.

Josh Dobbs is set to hit the free agent market. | Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

The Patriots continue to make personnel changes as they look to improve a roster good enough to head back to the Super Bowl in Mike Vrabel’s second season, the latest of which involves the quarterback position.

After failing to find a trade partner, New England released signal-caller Josh Dobbs on Monday afternoon—a move that makes the wily veteran a free agent for a second consecutive offseason.

The #Patriots officially released QB Josh Dobbs.

Tommy DeVito is NE's QB2, and the backup to Drake Maye. pic.twitter.com/WPYizjBAWY

— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) March 23, 2026

Dobbs, 31, signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Patriots last March and served as the backup to Drake Maye for the entirety of the 2025 campaign. He appeared in four games in relief of the eventual MVP runner-up, completing 7-of-10 pass attempts for 65 yards and a passer rating of 87.5.

Prior to his one-year stint in New England, Dobbs had spent time with the Steelers, Jaguars, Browns, Lions, Titans, Cardinals, Vikings, and 49ers—overlapping with Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel in Tennessee and quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant in Cleveland. He's now set to enter his eighth NFL season while looking to join his 10th(!) NFL team.

Here's more on why the Patriots decided to release Dobbs ahead of the 2026 campaign.

Why did the Patriots release Josh Dobbs?

The Patriots' backup quarterback job now belongs to Tommy DeVito. | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Of the aforementioned moves New England has made since their loss to the Seahawks in Super Bowl LIX was signing quarterback Tommy DeVito—who was set to be a restricted free agent—to a contract extension. The Patriots originally claimed DeVito after he was waived by the Giants last August.

The deal is worth $4.4 million over two years with a maximum value of $7.4 million. Dobbs, meanwhile, was set to make $3.2 million in New England in 2026 and carried a $4.75 million cap charge. The change at No. 2 quarterback behind Maye gets the team both younger and cheaper at the position—something Vrabel stressed the team is trying to do every day.

Furthermore, the Patriots added Dobbs—at least in part—to provide Maye with a steady, veteran presence in the quarterback room as he continued to learn and develop heading into his second NFL season.

Needless to say, the plan worked: Maye threw for 4,394 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2025, led the league in completion percentage (72%), yards per attempt (8.9), and passer rating (111.5), guided New England to an AFC championship victory over the Broncos in Denver, and came just a handful of votes shy of winning the NFL's MVP award.

He proved his worth—and in turn, so did Dobbs. New England now moves into 2026 with Maye, DeVito, and will likely add another developmental signal-caller in due time as they aim to return to the Super Bowl.

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