Not so fast
Coach Mike Tomlin said Josh Dobbs will compete for the backup QB spot.
Josh Dobbs already is being counted out as one of the backups on the 53-man roster, just as he was in 2018 when the Steelers drafted Mason Rudolph in the third round — one round earlier than where Dobbs was picked a year earlier.
The Steelers had Landry Jones as the top backup to Ben Roethlisberger and, after moving up in the third round to draft Rudolph, it appeared Dobbs would be the quarterback who would not make the team.
But, in something of a stunning move, the Steelers liked Dobbs so much they released Jones right before the start of the season. Coach Mike Tomlin was quick to point out what happened three years ago after watching Dobbs complete 4 of 6 passes and a touchdown in the 16-3 preseason victory against the Dallas Cowboys Thursday night in Canton, Ohio.
“Not surprised,” Tomlin said. “He’s been with us before and performed similarly when given the opportunity. Man, this guy’s not going to back down from competition. You guys keep asking me about Rudolph and [Dwayne] Haskins, he’s not going anywhere.
“We were in training camp a number of years ago and it was Jones, Rudolph and Dobbs, and nobody was asking me about Dobbs. And he came out of it.”
Can he do it again? Dobbs has looked sharp in training camp, just as he did Thursday night when he came into the game in the fourth quarter. His chances will depend on how willing the Steelers are to invest in the potential of Haskins, a former No. 1 draft choice who failed to pan out with the Washington Football Team.
Haskins completed 8 of 14 passes for 54 yards against the Cowboys and led the Steelers to nine points, though both times being given a short field because of a 36-yard punt return by Mathew Sexton to the Dallas 33 and an interception and 18yard return by undrafted rookie safety Donovan Stiner to the Cowboys 44.
“I liked his demeanor, he’s a really good communicator,” Tomlin said. “But there’s so much ball in front of him and the others. That’s why we were excited to participate in this game … gain some added exposure for these quarterbacks.”
Dobbs’ biggest moment with the Steelers came in November 2018 when he stepped in for one play for an injured Roethlisberger in Baltimore and, on his first NFL attempt, completed a 22-yard pass to JuJu SmithSchuster on second-and-20 from the 5. That kept alive a drive that led to a field goal and a 23-16 victory.
It might be wise to remember that the Steelers have moved on before from
Dobbs — trading him for a fifth-round choice to the Jacksonville Jaguars one week into the 2019 regular season. Then again, they wasted little time bringing him back when the Jaguars released him before the start of last season.
As such, it might be wise to not dismiss him from hanging around again.
COVID-19 testing
The NFL players union wants to recommend to the league that all vaccinated players should be subject to daily testing for the COVID19 virus, much like unvaccinated players, citing concerns about the proliferation of the delta variant.
According to ESPN, a memo sent by the NFLPA said that since training camps began, the league and union have tested 2,528 players and 4,549 staff members and have had at least 65 positive cases. Of those 65 cases, thememo says, 32 are among vaccinated individuals.
“We have consistently stated that football will go the way of our communities, and multiple cities and states are experiencing record surges in infections and hospitalizations due to the delta variant,” the memo states. “Based on our experience from last year, the number of positive tests in the first week of training camp is cause for concern.” Here’s a crazy thought: Maybe the NFLPA should focus its attention on getting its membership fully vaccinated, thereby restricting, if not nearly eliminating, the possibility of its unvaccinated players carrying and spreading the highly contagious delta variant.
Saint Vincent return?
Even though the players feel otherwise, most of the organization would prefer the Steelers be in training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, not at Heinz
Field. Count team owner Art Rooney II and Mike Tomlin, especially, among them.
But the Steelers apparently didn’t meet the NFL protocol standards to hold training camp outside their own facility. Rooney said he would not identify the specifics of why the Steelers are not in Latrobe, but his displeasure for the reason is more than palpable.
“It certainly wasn’t our decision, let’s put it that way,” Rooney said. “We’re not happy about it, but, again, it’s one of these things that, under the circumstances, we have to live with that. We’d rather not. That’s where we are.”
The Steelers intend to return to Saint Vincent College next summer; their intention was to do so this year, too.