Who Should I Start? Joshua Dobbs or Will Howard

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.

Monday, September 1, 11:37 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard (hand) remains in line to operate as the team's No. 3 quarterback once he's healthy enough to play. For now, Howard will miss the first four games of the regular season after being placed on injured reserve. However, once Pittsburgh activates him, he should replace Skylar Thompson as the third-string quarterback behind veterans Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph. Howard had an impressive senior season at Ohio State as he completed 73 percent of his passes for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while leading the Buckeyes to a national title. Howard didn't get into a preseason game, so Pittsburgh would truly need to have a quarterback emergency for the rookie to play a snap this season. However, plenty of teams have been forced to play or even start their third-string quarterback before, so we can't rule out Howard getting some reps when he's eventually activated in Week 5 or later.