Former Vikings QB Josh Dobbs Signs One-Year Deal With 49ers

Dobbs is headed to San Francisco in 2024.

Author:
Will Ragatz
Updated:
Mar 18, 2024 6:52 PM EDT
Original:
Mar 18, 2024

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Former Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs, who briefly became one of the biggest stories in the league last November, is signing a one-year deal with the 49ers, his agent Mike McCartney announced on Monday. The deal includes $2.25 million guaranteed and $750K in playing time incentives, per NFL Network, which probably isn't enough money for Dobbs to factor into the compensatory pick formula.

This feels like a pretty great landing spot for Dobbs, who now gets to work under Kyle Shanahan. He'll likely have a chance to step into the backup role behind Brock Purdy, which was held last year by new Vikings QB Sam Darnold. Brandon Allen is currently the other member of the quarterback room in San Francisco.

The 29-year-old Dobbs took the nation by storm when he led the Vikings to wins over the Falcons and Saints in his first two games after being acquired from the Cardinals to help replace an injured Kirk Cousins. His aerospace engineering background, winding career path, and exciting dual threat performances made for a very fun story. Unfortunately, things fell apart and he was benched for Nick Mullens a few weeks later.

More on Dobbs from our UFA profile:

For a brief moment, Josh Dobbs was the biggest story of the 2023 NFL season. Acquired at the trade deadline to help the Vikings replace the injured Kirk Cousins, Dobbs was on his third team in three months and his fifth in two years. Just a few days after arriving in Minnesota for the first time, he was thrust into action in Atlanta when Jaren Hall got injured in the first quarter. Dobbs hardly knew the playbook, which made it all the more incredible when he threw two touchdowns and ran for a third in a jaw-dropping comeback victory over the Falcons. With Kevin O'Connell walking him through each play over the headset, Dobbs pulled off several magical scrambles and threw the game-winning TD on a play he had never repped before.
A week later, Dobbs had two more touchdowns in the first half as the Vikings cruised to a 24-3 lead over the Saints, then held on for their fifth consecutive victory. "The Passtronaut" looked unstoppable. He was the talk of the nation. But then things went south. Cracks showed a bit in the second half against the Saints and in a one-point loss in Denver, even though Dobbs made history in that Broncos game. Then it all unraveled, as Dobbs threw four interceptions against the Bears and was benched in the second half of an abysmal performance against the Raiders. He didn't throw another pass the rest of the way.

Perhaps Dobbs will have another moment in the sun with the 49ers at some point.