After a wild ride in 2023, Joshua Dobbs is strengthening his case to back up Brock Purdy in the San Francisco 49ers QB room.
Dobbs dazzled Sunday in the Niners' 16-10 preseason win over the New Orleans Saints, leading San Francisco to three consecutive scoring drives in the second quarter, including a 1-yard touchdown run in which he juked out safety Jordan Howden.
"He's [Dobbs] a baller, man," Purdy said of Dobbs, . "He makes plays, goes through his reads and brings energy, man. He's out there making plays and guys feed off it. That's football. It's not always going to be pretty, you drop back and everything is going to be perfect. You're going to have to make plays off-schedule and bring some juice to the team, and guys feed off that. So, love having him in the room, and like I said, he's pretty electric."
Dobbs' preseason performance likely gave Saints fans PTSD. In his first start with Minnesota last season, Dobbs tortured New Orleans with both his arm (season-high 268 yards passing with a TD) and legs (44 yards on eight attempts with another score).
Sunday, he weaved around defenders on scrambles and showed good accuracy from the pocket. He finished 12 of 21 passing for 133 yards and led the Niners with 25 rushing yards and a TD on three attempts.
"I thought it was a good day," Dobbs said. "It was just a good day to go out and compete. It's always fun stepping on the field and getting into that environment. That's my goal every time I step on the field. I just go out there, take advantage of the opportunities and let the coaches handle the pecking order and everything else."
Last year, Dobbs entered the season as Kyler Murray's stand-in. After impressing despite losses, he was traded to Minnesota following Kirk Cousins' injury. The man known as the "Passtronaut" led the Vikes to two consecutive victories upon his arrival before things unraveled and he was benched.
Dobbs entered training camp set to battle Brandon Allen for backup duties behind Purdy. So far, Dobbs has pulled away in the competition, even if coach Kyle Shanahan played it politically correct following the game.
"Yeah, I thought they both did well with the reps they were given," Shanahan said. "Dobbs got to play a little bit more and I thought he did a real good job leading on some of those drives. When Brandon came in, he did the same. It was very similar to last week. The games have been tight, the practice have been tight. So, it's a good problem we have right now."
For a team with Super Bowl plans, having a reliable backup who can enter and keep things afloat in the event of injury is vital. Dobbs has proven he can do just that in short bursts. While his accuracy from the pocket can wane at times, and he must be better against pressure than last season, Dobbs can run Shanahan's offense and provide the occasional splash play with his legs should he be called upon in 2024.
