QB Joshua Dobbs Press Conference

QB Josh Dobbs

Press Conference – January 2, 2025

San Francisco 49ers

When you came here, you’d been to so many different places and you called it crazy when we talked to you back in late July. You wanted to kind of immerse yourself in this system with head coach Kyle Shanahan and now you’ve been in it for like a whole year and you’re going to start this game. I’m curious how far have you think you’ve come within the system and do you feel like a different guy?

“I don’t feel like a different guy, but it’s been good to be in one place for the year for sure and be around the same terminology, same teammates, same coaches, and just get consistent coaching within one scheme. So I’ve enjoyed that. I’ve enjoyed learning Kyle’s scheme, watching [QB] Brock [Purdy] play really well within the scheme. I know our record isn’t really indicative of our goals for the season, of course, but it’s been good. It’s been good to be around the guys, obviously be around a scheme that’s been very successful and is at several other places throughout the NFL. So I’ve enjoyed the year.”

There are so many offenses around the league that are similar to this one now. Do you see this game as sort of an audition for free agency in March that you can kind of show these other teams that you can run the system really well?

“Per-se, yeah. I think anytime you get a chance to get on the field and play, it’s always an audition not only for the team that you’re on, but for the other 31 teams, especially knowing my contract situation and being a free agent in March. So it’s an opportunity to go out and show what I can do here as a 49er in this scheme as well as for other opportunities. So I kind of let free agency, all that stuff, work itself out when that time comes. I’m just excited for the opportunity to get on the field and play. We all work to have this opportunity to play at the end of the day and it’s obviously fun to be a part of a great room and be supportive of Brock throughout the season, but to get a chance to get your number called and go out there and play and show what you can do is something that you never take for granted in this league. Whether you play quarterback, receiver, defense, no matter what, you can’t take that opportunity for granted. So, I’m excited to get out there, play, compete. I’ve built a lot of camaraderie with several guys, a lot of guys throughout the locker room, so to be able to step into that huddle and lead that group of men in our last opportunity on Sunday will be a lot of fun.”

Would you like to come back here next year and what have you learned from Purdy watching him prepare this year?

“Free agency will be free agency so we’ll let that handle itself. But, what I’ve learned from Brock is just being able to be in command of the huddle. We do a lot on offense, right? And a lot is on the quarterback’s shoulders from reads, progressions, sights when we’re throwing hot, trying to play the game within the game of knowing what the defense is doing. And to watch how he prepares and how he segments it and how he sequences his approach to each play, whether it’s just in the run game with calling two or three plays at the line of scrimmage or in the pass game feeding the ball to the right receiver based on different and crazy looks that we get every week, it’s been very impressive to watch. And so, learning that, seeing that from him, hopefully I’ll be able to show a little bit of what I can do as well on Sunday from what I’ve learned from Brock throughout the year.”

How much does having WR Jauan Jennings on the roster, I know you’ve worked out with him during the offseason, how much does him being on the roster help your transition?

“It’s been good. It’s been good. A familiar face is always great. I’ve met a lot of the dudes in the locker room though, just throughout my time in the league. There were several free agents, obviously, signed this year, as we all know. So, I’ve met a lot of guys throughout my time in the NFL and happened to be obviously on the same team this year, which has been cool to interact with guys I’ve watched, seen from afar or crossed paths with over the offseason. And then specifically Jauan, it’s really cool. I called him, I think it was after the Seahawk game. We had a really good game. He was playing X, first game at X, really stepped into that role of being like the guy, the go-to receiver and just watching him mature from what he was at Tennessee, he came in as a quarterback. He was kind of like my understudy to be the next quarterback at Tennessee. And watching him make plays on Sundays at receiver and really growing to the role of, ‘I’m Jauan Jennings, the number one receiver in the NFL’ has been really cool. And it’s been great to obviously be around him in the locker room from an interpersonal relationship, but I think it’s been really cool to watch who he’s become as a football player. I’m excited to watch his career from here on out.”

Are you going to help him get to that 1,000 yards?

“Yeah, that’ll be nice. I know he’s going to put some pressure on me for sure. So hopefully we can take care of that early in the game. But yeah, I know that’s a big milestone for him. He’s put in a lot of work. We won’t force feed him the ball, but yeah we want him to get there for sure.”

You played a lot of football last year. You kind of referenced this, but how hard is it to go from that to watching?

“Yeah, it’s weird. It definitely is weird. It’s definitely a slower paced of a year. For me personally, it’s been just interesting just kind of by battling that dynamic of knowing that you can be out there and you’ve gone on, you played really good football and also recognizing the situation and using it as a learning opportunity. So, mentally I’ve learned a lot about patience. I said it before I got my first opportunity to play that the league taught me a ton about patience and just perseverance and mental toughness through it all because my first time not starting was when I got to the NFL, so definitely was an adjustment. But being here, I think just being around the guys, being around the room that we have, the coaching staff, hasn’t made it difficult to be in that position and has made me enjoy wanting to learn and interact with them. But yeah, it’s been a different dynamic for me, personally. So just navigating that each year is really a lifetime of its own especially at the quarterback position. So, you just take the challenges, take the opportunities that each year brings you. You try to make the most of every opportunity you get to go out on the field and execute and play at a high level and hopefully you’re setting yourself up to be a starter and be a guy that some organization can rely on week-in and week-out. That’s our ultimate goal every single time at least I step on the field.”

What are you hoping to showcase on Sunday, whether it’s for the 49ers or any of the 31 other teams? Is it the processing, mental, physical? We got to see it a little bit against the Lions. You had a good body of work last year, but there might still be some questions, ‘is this the guy who could lead our franchise?’

“I don’t think I’m trying to prove anything without a doubt. I just want to go out and play good football. I’ve worked hard in the offseason preparing for the opportunities I got in the preseason, opportunities in camp and obviously if my number were to be called to be ready at a drop of a hat anytime to go in and execute and play at a high level. Showed it last week. But now to have a full week of preparation, a full week of practice and reps, it’s totally different. So, wanting to go out and play good football. Every time you step on the field you play to win. So I want to go out, compete, play at a high level and get a dub, send us out on the right note for this season and then we’ll let the off season take care of itself.”

Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold was in your position last year. Today he was voted to the Pro Bowl. Have you taken note of sort of the path that he took to Minnesota and to the Pro Bowl?

“For sure. No one cannot see the story and the success that he’s had. Obviously, I was in that building in Minnesota last year, so I know how special that team is and that building is. It’s been really cool to watch him step in and take advantage of that opportunity to lead those guys. And obviously they’ll make a really cool playoff run, we’ll be watching. But quite frankly, I’m kind of focused on myself, this team and more importantly my journey and maturation throughout my time as an NFL quarterback. So yeah, you take note of those stories and those opportunities, but at the end of the day, Sam got an opportunity, took advantage of it. And I think that’s just a testament to him, obviously his work ethic of being prepared for that opportunity and it’s a lesson for every player in the NFL that no matter what the opportunity is, how big or small it may seem or be, if you go out there, you take advantage of that opportunity, you’ll be able to be the player that you dreamed about being in the NFL. And so, that’s what I noticed. You get the opportunity to play, you go out, you play well, you play to the best of your ability, you try to lead your team to a victory and everything else will work itself out after that.”