The New England Patriots quarterback room will look a little different in the 2025 NFL season.
Drake Maye is still the starter, but Jacoby Brissett (free agency) and Joe Milton III (trade) departed Foxboro over the offseason. The Patriots signed veteran Joshua Dobbs to be Maye’s backup.
Dobbs played for five teams before coming to New England, most recently with the San Francisco 49ers last season. He has appeared in 23 games since making his pro debut in 2018.
Dobbs does have some familiarity with a few Patriots players and coaches. He spent the 2022 season with the Tennessee Titans, where he played under current Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel.
Maye also has been helpful in getting Dobbs settled in with his new team.
“It’s been really good getting acclimated. Drake’s been awesome, kind of showing me around — inside and outside the building,” Dobbs told reporters during a press conference at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday. “It’s been good to hit the ground running.”
Dobbs first met Maye at an NFLPA event in Cancun earlier in the offseason, where they played some golf together. It was a good way to help build their relationship off the field.
And it sounds like that process is going well.
“He can hit the crap out of it with his driver,” Dobbs said. “So it’s good to get a chance to meet each other outside of a football environment. Put a face with a name, and start talking ball and get to know each other.
“And just being in the building, the kid loves football. It’s really good to be around that every morning, coming in (with his) high spirit. And just being able to grow and learn coach (Josh) McDaniels’ offense.
“It’s been really good being together. I’m able to provide (Maye) pointers of things I’ve seen in the past of how to quickly pick up an offense and execute it. He’s done a good job of showing me around the team and guys who have been around the past year. It’s been a great dynamic, and we’re going to enjoy working together.”
Dobbs really appreciates the effort Maye puts in and his love for the game.
“As a young guy, I think curiosity is always very interesting, and he’s very curious,” Dobbs said. “This is obviously his second scheme that he’s had, and to see the questions that he asked, his engagement each day within the QB room, and his preparation coming into the room, and not only preparation in our own interpersonal meetings with Coach McDaniels, but also when we get on the field.
“As we go out there and lead a new offense, you can always tell who loves football, who loves the learning aspect of it, and he definitely does that.
“And as a quarterback room we try to set the tempo with the offense — how much can we learn and absorb as quickly as possible so that when we get to the field we can push these guys, hold them to a high standard and grow to improve each day.”
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