Before anybody gets upset, former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Joshua Dobbs had nothing but good things to say about Ben Roethlisberger. For Dobbs, his tenure(s) in Pittsburgh didn't exactly go according to plan. After he was selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, he admitted that he expected to start at some point in a recent appearance on the Bussin' With The Boys podcast.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Roethlisberger was already flirting with retirement by the time Dobbs came into the league, yet he ended up playing another five years. Dobbs finally got his chance this season. After being the backup for the Cleveland Browns for a majority of the season, he landed on the Tennessee Titans' active 53-man roster just a few weeks ago. From there, he ended up starting the team's final two games, the first starts of his five-year NFL career.
In his appearance on the podcast, Dobbs was asked by Titans OL Taylor Lewan and former NFL player, Will Compton about his time with the Steelers. He was specifically asked about his relationship with Roethlisberger, to which he had this to say:
"I would ask him a little bit, but he doesn't really like to talk about why he does it," Dobbs said to Compton and Lewan. "He just likes to do it. You can ask him [for advice] on little stuff. He's playing chess at all times."
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
Now the chess reference was specifically brought up by Compton and Lewan, to which Dobbs agreed with and re-iterated. A lot of the discussion was in a joking manner, nothing hostile toward Roethlisberger. Dobbs did also say that the two now have a nice relationship. While he didn't appear in a game, he was back in Pittsburgh for a short second stint last season. Of course, that would be Roethlisberger's final year before retiring.
Now that he is retired though, perhaps Roethlisberger has given a few more secrets away to Dobbs. In his two starts with the Titans to conclude the 2022 season, he showed some promise. Dobbs threw for 411 yards and two touchdowns, while also picking up 44 yards on the ground. He seemingly did enough to warrant a chance somewhere in the league this upcoming off-season. The Titans may not be the team for that, as Malik Willis will be entering his second season and Ryan Tannehill should be healthy.
Mason Rudolph endured a situation similar to what Dobbs went through in Pittsburgh. That is, Roethlisberger hung around a bit longer than expected, not leaving for much of a chance for the other quarterbacks. Roethlisberger wasn't exactly best friends with Rudolph, as he obviously didn't want his job to be taken away on the back-end of his career. It seems he was that way with everyone, which isn't exactly a problem.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) looks a replay on the scoreboard with head coach Mike Tomlin, second from right, offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner, second from left, and quarterback Mason Rudolph during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019, in Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger did not play in the second half. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
While the Steelers would be wise to have Dobbs in for a third stint as their backup to Kenny Pickett, he'll look for a chance at a starting job somewhere. That's not to say he'll start Week 1 of the 2023 season, but it seems he just wants a chance. That's something he really hasn't gotten his whole NFL career up until three weeks ago.
What are your thoughts on Dobbs' comments? Where would be a good landing spot for him entering his sixth season? Can he become a decent NFL quarterback still? Share your thoughts in the comments below, yinz!
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