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Rash of Quarterback Injuries Proves Lions Made Right Call Signing Josh Dobbs Before 2026 Season
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- Rash of Quarterback Injuries Proves Lions Made Right Call Signing Josh Dobbs Before 2026 Season
The 2026 NFL season has seen multiple starting quarterbacks go down with injuries, most recently Jaxson Dart of the New York Giants .
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported Wednesday that Dart will have season-ending knee surgery after exiting New York's Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams early. Dart is the lone starting signal-caller to be out for the year, but other starters, such as Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks and Kyler Murray of the Minnesota Vikings , have already missed game time with injuries.
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Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders is also set to be held out after dislocating his elbow last week , while Caleb Williams ' status is up in the air for Week 3 with a hamstring injury as the Chicago Bears take on the Philadelphia Eagles .
It's only been two weeks, and many teams' seasons are in question because of injuries to their quarterbacks. Having a reliable backup has never been more crucial in the NFL, and luckily for the Detroit Lions , they got ahead of the curve in August.
Lions' Training Camp Signing of Josh Dobbs Looks Smarter Now More Than Ever
Detroit Lions quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) arrives at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026.
Entering training camp, the Lions had three quarterbacks on their roster: Jared Goff , Teddy Bridgewater , and Luke Altmyer. However, Bridgewater retired in the middle of camp, leaving Detroit with a thin quarterback group.
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Instead of banking on an inexperienced rookie in Altmyer, general manager Brad Holmes was proactive and signed Joshua Dobbs to a one-year deal . Dobbs spent the 2025 season with the New England Patriots and has 15 career starts under his belt.
Dobbs outplayed Altmyer in the preseason and easily won the No. 2 quarterback job , and the decision to sign the veteran in August is looking like a masterful move by Holmes.
Though Goff hasn't missed a game since 2021 and is one of the most durable players in the sport , it's still wise for the Lions to have a solid backup, especially with the number of quarterback injuries so far this season.
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If Goff goes down, Detroit can rely on Dobbs to lead the offense and keep the unit afloat. Dobbs has experience playing under offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, as the pair spent time together with the Arizona Cardinals in 2023.
Adding Dobbs wasn't an exciting signing, but in hindsight, it was much needed and ensured that Detroit had a plan if Goff suffered an injury.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
