3/18/2024 football Edit

Josh Dobbs inks deal with 49ers, reunites with Jauan Jennings

Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) throws from the pocket in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Georgia Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore) (The Associated Press)

Noah Taylor • VolReport

Managing Editor

Noah is a graduate of the UT College of Journalism & Electronic Media and has covered Tennessee football since 2019. He joined Rivals in 2022.

If the San Francisco 49ers find themselves in need of a last-second heave from around midfield next season, they now have the pieces to pull it off.

Former Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs, who spent last season with the Minnesota Vikings, signed a one-year deal with the 49ers on Monday, joining former Vols teammate Jauan Jennings.

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Dobbs has spent the last seven years mainly as a backup quarterback between eight teams. He was drafted in the fourth round in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Dobbs passed for more than 7,100 yards and 53 touchdowns while rushing for another 2,160 yards and 34 scores in four seasons at Tennessee, but his most notable play was his last-second Hail Mary that was caught by Jennings to beat Georgia, 34-31 at Sanford Stadium in Athens in 2016.

After starting the 2023 season with the Arizona Cardinals, Dobbs was traded to the Vikings after starting quarterback Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending injury in October.

Dobbs, 29, made his Minnesota debut on Nov. 5 against the Atlanta Falcons, leading the way in a 31-28 come-from-behind win and started four more games before begin benched late in the season. He became an unrestricted free agent on March 13.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Dobbs' new deal with the 49ers includes a guaranteed $2.25 million and another $750,000 in play-time incentives.

San Francisco is coming off of a Super Bowl appearance. In a similar display to his playing days at Tennessee, Jennings passed for a touchdown and caught another in the 49ers 25-22 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Jennings is entering his fifth season in San Francisco where he was drafted in the seventh round in the 2020 NFL Draft after four seasons with the Vols.

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