Just hours after Bridgewater revealed he was going away from football and retiring, the Lions already had his replacement in the fold.
The Lions are signing quarterback Josh Dobbs to a one-year deal for $1.425 million, with $475,000 completely guaranteed, according NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.
The Lions are signing QB Josh Dobbs to a one-year, $1.425 million contract, with $475k fully guaranteed, per @MikeGarafolo and @RapSheet.
The veteran slots into the No. 2 spot behind starter Jared Goff after Teddy Bridgewater’s retirement earlier Sunday. pic.twitter.com/51fEVt6pQ6
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 9, 2026
The trade installs Dobbs as the presumptive backup to starter Jared Goff, giving Detroit some needed experience at quarterback moving into the season.
This isn’t Dobbs’ first time in Detroit. He had a brief stint on the Lions practice squad back in 2022 before being picked up by the Tennessee Titans.
He also has familiarity with new Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, who he played under in Arizona in 2023 when Dobbs started eight games for the Cardinals.
The 31-year-old, well known for his aerospace engineering degree as his playing career, has bounced around the league since being picked by the Steelers in 2017.
He’s been with Cleveland, Arizona, Minnesota, San Francisco and most recently New England, where he was Drake Maye’s backup last season and played in four games.
With Bridgewater out of the picture and Dobbs now in the fold, the only other quarterback on Detroit’s roster is undrafted free agent Luke Altmyer.
