Josh Dobbs signs with Lions as Teddy Bridgewater replacement

Nolan Bianchi, The Detroit News on Aug 9, 2026

Published in Football

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DETROIT — The Detroit Lions have already found their replacement for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, adding veteran Josh Dobbs to the roster on Sunday, according to Dobbs' agent, Mike McCartney, on social media.

Dobbs, 31, is familiar with both the team and new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. He spent more than two weeks on Detroit's practice squad during the 2022 season but departed when the Tennessee Titans signed him to the active roster just 16 days later.

Dobbs was traded to Petzing's Arizona Cardinals during the 2023 preseason and wound up starting eight games, going 1-7 in that span. He completed 62.8% of his passes for 1,569 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions under Petzing.

The move comes just hours after Lions coach Dan Campbell announced that Bridgewater, who was expected to back up Jared Goff during the 2025 season, is stepping away from football.

Dobbs, a fourth-round pick out of Tennessee by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017, has made 27 career appearances and 15 starts since 2018. All but three of those starts came in 2023, when he was dealt to the Minnesota Vikings at the trade deadline as an emergency replacement for the injured Kirk Cousins. Dobbs went 2-2 with the Vikings but was ultimately benched for Nick Mullens.

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