Robert Joshua Dobbs: From Tennessee Volunteer to "The Passtronaut"

Robert Joshua Dobbs, born on January 26, 1995, and affectionately nicknamed "the Passtronaut," is a professional American football quarterback currently playing for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Dobbs' journey to the NFL began with a solid college career at the University of Tennessee, where he showcased his dual-threat capabilities and earned accolades both on and off the field.

Early Life and High School Career

Dobbs' passion for football ignited at the young age of five. Before becoming a Tennessee Volunteer, Dobbs attended Wesleyan School and later Alpharetta High School where he honed his skills. As a senior with the Alpharetta Raiders football team, Dobbs threw for an impressive 3,625 yards and 29 touchdowns. Dobbs was a two-sport star, excelling on the gridiron and the diamond. As a quarterback, he demonstrated leadership in the huddle, great pocket awareness, the ability to see the field well, a quick release, and the ability to throw an accurate ball.

College Career at Tennessee

Recruitment

Coming out of high school, Dobbs was a highly sought-after recruit. ESPN ranked him as a 4-star prospect, the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback, and No. 247Sports ranked him as the No. 8 pro-style QB. Dobbs initially committed to Arizona State but later flipped to Tennessee.

2013 Season: Freshman Year

Dobbs arrived at the University of Tennessee in 2013. After an injury to starting quarterback Justin Worley during a game against #1 Alabama, Dobbs stepped in and completed 5 of 12 passes for 75 yards. He made his first career start against the #10 Missouri Tigers. Dobbs completed 26-of-42 passes for 240 yards in the 31-3 loss, which was the most passing yards in a freshman debut since 2004. He started in five games. After a 55-23 loss to the #7 Auburn Tigers and a 14-10 loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores, Dobbs put together a solid performance against the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium.

Tennessee hoped to keep Dobbs packed away until this year, but an injury forced the Volunteers to turn to Dobbs earlier than planned. Dobbs was electrifying, reinforcing the idea that he might be the program's long-awaited savior.

2014 Season: Sophomore Year

Dobbs competed with Worley and Nathan Peterman to be Tennessee's starter for the 2014 season. Worley was named the starter, but Dobbs took over in November after Worley was injured in a loss to #3 Ole Miss. Although Dobbs was not pushed into action immediately after the injury, in the following week against #4 Alabama Crimson Tide, Peterman was named the starter, but he was relieved quickly by Dobbs. Dobbs recorded 192 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns against the Crimson Tide. Against South Carolina, Dobbs had 301 passing yards and two touchdowns to go along with 166 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the 45-42 comeback overtime victory. Against the Kentucky Wildcats at Neyland Stadium, he had 297 passing yards and three passing touchdowns to go along with 48 rushing yards and a touchdown in the 50-16 victory. Dobbs and team helped Tennessee reach their first bowl game since the 2010 season. He was named the 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl MVP in Tennessee's 45-28 victory over Iowa. As a sophomore, Dobbs threw for 1,206 yards, nine touchdowns, and six interceptions while also rushing for 469 yards and eight touchdowns in just six games. The dual-threat quarterback totaled 1,206 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions as a passer while running for 469 yards and eight touchdowns in six games with the ability to take over games in the right matchup.

2015 Season: Junior Year

Dobbs entered the 2015 season as Tennessee's starting quarterback. He started and appeared in all 12 regular season games and the bowl game. To open Tennessee's season on September 5, Dobbs recorded 205 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, 89 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown against the Bowling Green Falcons in a 59-30 victory. In a double overtime 31-24 loss to the #19 Oklahoma Sooners in the Tennessee 2015 home opener, he had 125 passing yards, a passing touchdown, 12 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown. In a narrow 28-27 loss to SEC East rival Florida, Dobbs had a season-high 136 rushing yards and had a 58-yard receiving touchdown thrown by teammate wide receiver Jauan Jennings on a trick play. Dobbs's touchdown reception against Florida was the first reception by a Tennessee quarterback since Peyton Manning caught a 10-yard pass from running back Jamal Lewis in 1997 against Arkansas. Against the rival #19 Georgia Bulldogs, Dobbs had a season-high 312 yards passing and three touchdowns to go along with 118 rushing yards and two touchdowns. His efforts in the game led Tennessee to their first win over the Bulldogs since 2009. Against the #8 Alabama Crimson Tide in their annual rivalry game, Dobbs threw for 171 yards and a touchdown in the 19-14 loss. Against rival South Carolina, he had 255 passing yards and two touchdowns in the 27-24 home victory. Dobbs led Tennessee to a 9-4 record, which was the most wins for the Tennessee program since 2007. The 2015 season culminated with a 45-6 victory over the #12 Northwestern Wildcats in the 2016 Outback Bowl.

2016 Season: Senior Year

Dobbs entered the 2016 season as Tennessee's starting quarterback in his final season of collegiate eligibility. He started and appeared in all 12 regular season games and the bowl game. Dobbs started the season with a solid performance in a home game against Appalachian State. In the 20-13 overtime victory, he had 192 yards passing but fumbled on the goal line; the ball was recovered by teammate and running back Jalen Hurd to give Tennessee the go-ahead score. In the 2016 Pilot Flying J Battle at Bristol, Dobbs threw three passing touchdowns to go along with two rushing touchdowns. In a 38-28 comeback victory over the #19 Florida Gators, Dobbs had 319 yards passing, four passing touchdowns, 80 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown to lead the Volunteers to their first win over the Gators since 2004. Against #25 Georgia, Dobbs had 230 yards passing, three passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown to win 34-31. Dobbs's last touchdown was a Hail Mary throw to wide receiver Jauan Jennings as time expired. The winning play is referenced by many as the "Dobbs-Nail Boot". With the victory, Tennessee was 5-0 with Dobbs as quarterback and ranked as high as top 10 in some polls. In a double overtime 45-38 loss to the #8 Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field, Dobbs had a season-high 398 passing yards and one passing touchdown. Dobbs completed 28 of 47 pass attempts for 398 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions against Texas A&M on Saturday. In the final game of his Tennessee career, Dobbs led the Volunteers past the #24 Nebraska Cornhuskers by a score of 38-28 in the 2016 Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. He had 291 passing yards, one passing touchdown, 11 rushes for 118 yards, and three rushing touchdowns. Dobbs led Tennessee to a second consecutive 9-4 record.

College Statistics and Accolades

During his time at Tennessee, Dobbs proved to be a dynamic player, contributing both through the air and on the ground.

Academic Achievements

Dobbs majored in aerospace engineering during his time at the University of Tennessee. The university presented him with the 2017 Torchbearer Award, the highest honor for an undergraduate student, which recognizes accomplishments in the community and academics.

NFL Career

Pre-Draft

Dobbs received an invitation to the Senior Bowl and was named the starting quarterback for the South. He finished the game completing 12-of-15 pass attempts for 102 passing yards and an interception, as the South narrowly defeated the North 16-15. Most NFL draft experts and analysts projected Dobbs to be a fourth to fifth round pick. NFL analyst Mike Mayock projected him to be selected in the second round and NFL.com projected Dobbs to be drafted in the third round. After attending the NFL Scouting Combine, he was ranked the seventh best quarterback in the draft by ESPN, the ninth best quarterback by Sports Illustrated, and NFLDraftScout.com ranked him the eighth best quarterback in the draft. Dobbs attended Tennessee's Pro Day and scripted his own set of plays; 19 other teammates also participated in Tennessee's Pro Day.

Pittsburgh Steelers (2017-2019, 2020-2021)

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Dobbs in the fourth round (135th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft. Dobbs made his NFL debut in the 2018 season against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 5, taking a knee to close out the 41-17 victory. On November 4, 2018, in a 23-16 victory over the Baltimore Ravens, Dobbs completed a 22-yard pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster, after stepping in for Ben Roethlisberger, who got injured on the previous play. In Week 14 against the Oakland Raiders, Dobbs once again stepped in for Roethlisberger, who suffered a rib injury. After being released by Jacksonville, claimed by Pittsburgh off waivers on Sept. Saw action in five games during the regular season, completing 6-of-12 passes for 43 yards and 1 interception. Entered the game vs. Atlanta (10/7) and vs. Completed a pass to WR Antonio Brown for -3 yards in the fourth quarter vs.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2019)

Acquired by Jacksonville in a trade with Pittsburgh in exchange for a 2020 fifth-round pick (9/9/2019) … Released by Jacksonville (9/5/20).

Cleveland Browns (2022, 2023)

Signed by Cleveland as an unrestricted free agent from Pittsburgh (4/14/22) … Released by Cleveland (11/28/22) … Signed by Cleveland as an unrestricted free agent from Tennessee (3/23/23). Served as the backup behind QB Jacoby Brissett for 12 weeks before being released on Nov. 28. Placed on injured reserve on Aug.

Detroit Lions (2022)

Signed by Detroit to the practice squad (12/5/22) … Elevated by Detroit to the active roster from the practice squad (12/17/22) … Reverted back to the Detroit practice squad (12/19/22).

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Tennessee Titans (2022)

Signed by Tennessee to the 53-man roster from the Detroit practice squad (12/21/22). On January 2, head coach Mike Vrabel announced that Dobbs would start the Week 18 matchup against the Jaguars. Needing a win to clinch the division, Dobbs completed 20-of-29 passes for 179 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Despite leading for most of the game, he was sacked from behind by Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins and fumbled the ball, with the Jaguars returning it 37 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with under three minutes to go. Completed 20-of-39 passes (51.3 percent) for 232 yards and 1 touchdown vs. Dallas (12/29) for his first career touchdown pass, a 7-yard toss to WR Robert Woods in the third quarter.

Arizona Cardinals (2023)

Acquired by Arizona in a trade with Cleveland in exchange for a 2024 fifth-round draft pick (8/24/23). Served as the starting quarterback for the first eight games of the season when QB Kyler Murray began the season on injured reserve. Completed 167-of-266 passes (62.8 percent) for 1,569 yards and 8 touchdowns. Recorded the longest rush of his career with a 44-yard run in the first quarter vs. Dallas (9/24) and finished with 6 rushing attempts for 55 yards. Completed the longest pass of his career on a 69-yard toss to WR Michael Wilson in the fourth quarter. On September 24, Dobbs led the Cardinals to their first win of the season in an upset over the Cowboys 28-16. At the time, the Cowboys were undefeated at 2-0. This would be Cardinals' only win with Dobbs as starter, going 1-7 through eight games before he was traded to the Vikings. Threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to WR Marquise Brown in the fourth quarter to secure his first career victory as a starter.

Minnesota Vikings (2023)

Acquired by Minnesota in a trade with Arizona in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round draft pick on Oct. In five games and four starts with Minnesota, completed 95-of-151 passes (62.9 percent) for 895 yards and 5 touchdowns. Made his first start for Minnesota vs. New Orleans (11/12) and completed 23-of-34 passes (67.7 percent) for 268 yards and 1 touchdown. On November 5 against the Falcons, Dobbs entered the game after new starting quarterback Jaren Hall left the game with a concussion. Dobbs had not taken a single practice repetition for the Vikings and had to rehearse his cadence with the team's offensive linemen during the game. Dobbs threw for 158 yards and scored three total touchdowns in the 31-28 comeback victory. Made his Vikings debut at Atlanta (11/5) after QB Jaren Hall exited the game due to injury in the first quarter, despite having zero practice repetitions and having to rehearse cadence with the offensive line on the sidelines. Completed 20-of-30 passes (66.7 percent) for 158 yards and 2 touchdowns in addition to 7 rushing attempts for 66 yards and 1 touchdown. Successfully converted a 2-point attempt to WR Trishton Jackson to tie the game in the third quarter after his 18-yard rushing touchdown. Threw the game-winning touchdown pass to WR Brandon Powell for 6 yards in the fourth quarter with less than two minutes remaining in the game. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to record three touchdowns in consecutive games while playing for different teams and earned NFC Player of the Week honors for his performance. Dobbs during this time received increased media attention for his journeyman career and sudden unexpected success. After losses to the Denver Broncos and the Chicago Bears, Dobbs was benched in the second half of the Week 14 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders after completing 10-of-23 passes for 63 yards and scoring no points for Minnesota through three quarters.

San Francisco 49ers (2024)

Dobbs spent most of the season as the third-string quarterback behind Brock Purdy and Brandon Allen. He saw his first snaps of the season in Week 17 against the Detroit Lions after Purdy left late in the fourth quarter with an injury. Was named the starter for the season finale at Arizona (1/5) due to QB Brock Purdy being out with an injury. Set career highs in attempts, completions and passing yards, going 29-of-43 (67.4 percent) for 326 yards and a career-high tying 2 touchdown passes, including a career-long 36-yard touchdown pass to FB Kyle Juszczyk.

New England Patriots (2025-Present)

Joshua Dobbs was signed by the New England Patriots as an unrestricted free agent from San Francisco on March 18, 2025.

NFL Career Statistics

Has played in 23 games with 15 starts, completing 344-of-549 passes (62.7 percent) for 3,281 yards and 17 touchdowns.

"The Passtronaut": Combining Football and Aerospace Engineering

Dobbs graduated with a degree in aerospace engineering from Tennessee and has since combined his love for football and space, coining the nickname, "The Passtronaut." Through the NFLPA's virtual externship program, Dobbs spent two years (2020-21) with the NASA Kennedy Space Flight Center. "We're promoting my background growing up, which was in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), aerospace and aviation," Dobbs said. "So, we love giving back to the community itself, who supported me throughout my career, but also just promoting STEM engagement, giving back to those less fortunate and just being involved. It's very important to me to support those communities and to be able to represent my own foundation. It's really cool.

Personal Life

Dobbs is a Christian. He has spoken about the most important day in his life by saying, "That’s the day I got baptized and went public with the decision of shedding my old life and putting on the new and starting a relationship with Jesus Christ. The day will come that I won't be a part of any football team.

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