This past offseason, the New England Patriots deconstructed and rebuilt their quarterback room behind rising star Drake Maye. After Jacoby Brissett and Joe Milton III backed up Maye in 2024 under Jerod Mayo, new HC Mike Vrabel and OC Josh McDaniels put their stamp on a new-look QB room with three offseason decisions.
The departed included Jacoby Brissett, who signed a two-year deal with the Cardinals in free agency, and Joe Milton III, who was traded to the Cowboys for a 2025 fifth-round pick back in April. These moves, especially the Milton trade, confirmed the high levels of trust in Drake Maye from the Patriots front office. It was just about finding the right guy to back up Maye in McDaniels' system.
Not long after Brissett signed in the desert, the Patriots signed QB Joshua Dobbs to a two-year, $8 million contract back in March. Dobbs has played for the Steelers, Cardinals, Titans, Vikings, and 49ers across his five years in the league, sporting a 3-12 record in 15 career starts.
One trait that has become more apparent in modern NFL quarterbacks is their ability to scramble and make plays happen off-platform. In this sense, Dobbs and Maye are similar. The "Passtronaut" has scampered for 520 yards and eight touchdowns throughout his career, and added a score on the ground in last week's preseason game against the Commanders.
Maye rushed for 421 yards and two scores as a rookie as the Patriots' offensive line struggled to keep him in the pocket all season. With a new and improved offensive line surrounding the sophomore signal caller, there hopefully won't be the need for as much scrambling this season.
In terms of passing abilities, Maye clears Dobbs. The latter has completed 62% of passes over his career, tossing 17 touchdowns but 15 interceptions. Dobbs' inaccuracy showed up in the first preseason game against the Commanders, where he completed 5-of-12 passes for 45 yards.
Efton Chism has his second touchdown in 11v11s. Javon Baker also gets in the end zone. Both from Joshua Dobbs.
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) August 14, 2025
Joshua Dobbs Needs to Bounce Back in Second Preseason Game
This week, the Patriots have been put to the test in joint practices against a tough Vikings team. Dobbs made five starts for the Vikings in 2023 and has had an up-and-down couple of practice sessions against his former team. On Thursday, he connected with both Efton Chism III and Javon Baker in the endzone, two receivers making their case to crack the final 53-man roster.
While Dobbs doesn't have to worry about his roster spot as much, it's worth mentioning that he was outplayed by UDFA QB Ben Wooldridge in the preseason opener. Wooldridge was efficient, going 9-for-12 with 132 yards and a touchdown pass to the aforementioned Chism III.
Aside from other position battles at wide receiver and kicker, it'll be interesting to see who does more with their opportunities between Wooldridge and Dobbs in two days.
A better performance from Dobbs in preseason Week 2 against Minnesota would have Pats fans feeling better about their backup. I'd like to see Dobbs show more success through the air on Saturday, as we all know what he can do with his legs.