Addition of QB Casts Doubt on Tannehill's Availability

Josh Dobbs, who spent most of the season with the Cleveland Browns, will be available to play Saturday against the Houston Texans.

Scott Galvin / USA Today Sports

NASHVILLE – In a move that appears to cast doubt on starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s availability for Saturday, the Tennessee Titans signed former University of Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs on Wednesday, according to Dobbs’ agent. The team formally announced the deal a short time later.

The Titans pulled Dobbs from the Detroit Lions' practice squad. His addition to the 53-man roster comes following an ankle injury to Tannehill in last Sunday’s 17-14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

To make room on the roster, offensive lineman Dillon Radunz was placed on injured reserve because of a season-ending knee injury. Additionally, offensive lineman, Zach Johnson was signed to the practice squad.

"(Dobbs) is a player that gives us the opportunity to strengthen and really add depth to the quarterback position," coach Mike Vrabel said. "Obviously, with (Tannehill) nad his situation, we'll still monitor that and try to make sure that he's doing everything he can to get to the game. If not, then we have guys in here that will be able to help us and develop in our system."

Dobbs began this season on the Cleveland Browns roster but was waived on Nov. 28 when Deshaun Watson returned from his NFL suspension. Dobbs was signed to the Lions’ practice squad a week later.

Tannehill did return to action after he was injured against the Chargers, but that was not necessarily an indication he was healthy. He was listed as not practicing in Tuesday’s injury report, which was an estimation following the team’s walk-through.

Tannehill missed two games earlier this season because of an ankle injury.

“Where you see guys kind of come back, finish (a game), there is adrenaline and there are a lot of things that go into trying to get back out there and allowing a player to finish,” Vrabel said Tuesday. “Then there is a lot of trauma that happens, whether you're talking about a shoulder, a hand, a wrist or there are even things that may cause guys to leave the game and then the next day they wake up and are like, ‘Holy sh-. I didn’t really feel that and didn't know.’”

If Tannehill is unable to play Saturday against the Texans, rookie Malik Willis will start. Dobbs is the only other quarterback on the 53-man roster, though the Titans also have Kevin Hogan on the team’s practice squad.

A fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017, Dobbs played in six NFL games for the Steelers – five in 2018 and one in 2020. He completed 10-of-17 passes for 45 yards and one interception, posting a quarterback rating of 39.1.

The Steelers traded Dobbs to Jacksonville in 2019, but he never played for the Jaguars. The Steelers re-signed Dobbs in 2020. He signed with the Browns last April, but didn’t play before his release.

In four seasons at the University of Tennessee, Dobbs completed 614-of-999 passes (61 percent) for 7,138 yards (11.6 yards per completion). He threw 53 touchdowns and 29 interceptions.

Dobbs is a dual threat, as he ran 438 times for 2,160 yards (5.5-yard average) and 32 touchdowns for the Vols.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Dobbs earned second-team all-SEC honors in 2016 and participated in the Senior Bowl.

The fact that Dobbs’ skill set is similar to Willis’ may have been one of the reasons the Titans added Dobbs instead of promoting Hogan.

"He's got good arm talent and a good understanding of the game and a wealth of experience – he's been a part of a bunch of different systems," offensive coordinator Todd Downing said. "So, he should be able to get acclimated pretty quickly, and we're excited to see what he adds."