Who Should I Start? Joshua Dobbs or Skylar Thompson

Saturday, August 16, 6:36 PM

New England Patriots quarterback Joshua Dobbs completed 11 of his 16 pass attempts for 106 yards, one touchdown, and zero interceptions during Saturday's preseason win over the Minnesota Vikings. The veteran backup looked solid, albeit against the Vikings' second-team defense. With only Drake Maye and Ben Wooldridge alongside him in the Patriots' quarterback room, Dobbs is in line to earn the backup job ahead of Week 1. The 30-year-old has seen increased opportunities over the last few seasons, including the 2023 campaign in which he threw for 13 touchdowns with the Vikings and Arizona Cardinals. He spent 2024 backing up Brock Purdy in San Francisco but did attempt 47 passes through two games (one start). If Maye were to suffer an injury, Dobbs possesses the experience, mobility, and arm needed to keep the Patriots competitive down the stretch.

Friday, August 22, 11:36 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Skylar Thompson completed 11 of his 13 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown in Thursday night's 19-10 preseason victory against the Carolina Panthers. Thompson took over for Mason Rudolph in the second quarter and orchestrated three consecutive scoring drives. He capped his opening series with a perfect five-for-five passing line, highlighted by a 24-yard strike to Lance McCutcheon in the end zone to put Pittsburgh ahead. Thompson's strong play this summer has likely been enough to earn him a roster spot somewhere, though it's uncertain at this point if it will be in Pittsburgh. The aforementioned Rudolph is likely to enter the season as the team's primary backup behind Aaron Rodgers, but if the Steelers place rookie Will Howard (finger) on IR, they could opt to keep Thompson as their QB3 or explore trade options.