A Deep Dive Into NFL Quarterback Josh Dobbs' Dating History
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs immediately won over fans when he came off the bench in his first game to lead his team to victory over the Atlanta Falcons. The 28-year-old was traded to the franchise from the Arizona Cardinals in November 2023, and has been busy earning the confidence of his teammates ever since. Kirk Cousins' injury means that Dobbs isn't a shoo-in for the starting quarterback spot through the 2023-2024 season, but he seems to be carving out a place for himself in Minnesota just fine. "[Dobbs has] earned high-level No. 2 status," an AFC executive told AZ Sports. "A guy who can start games for you if you need. And that pays pretty good money."
Just like San Francisco 49ers rookie quarterback Brock Purdy burst onto fans' radars after veteran Jimmy Garappolo was injured in late 2022, the injuries on the Vikings side provide an opportunity for Dobbs to shine. And with legends like Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, and Aaron Rodgers either out or on their way out, Dobbs is part of a new wave of young, dynamic players.
As you can imagine, there's been immediate scrutiny of his personal life in the wake of the Vikings' improbable win. Just who is Josh Dobbs? And does he have a girlfriend? That last question we can answer. The quarterback has been with Jocelyn Lara since at least 2021, via Sportskeeda. But before Lara, Dobbs was also linked to some interesting names in the entertainment world.
Josh Dobbs has ties to Bachelor Nation
Since joining the NFL in 2017, Josh Dobbs has played for several different NFL franchises, including the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was during his time with Jacksonville that Dobbs was linked to model Hannah Ann Sluss, the winner of Season 24 of "The Bachelor." In a picture posted to Reddit, eagle-eyed fans spotted what appeared to be the pair getting cozy at Barley's Taproom & Pizzeria in Sluss' hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee. Dobbs and Sluss were also spotted hanging out in Knoxville's Market Square, according to The Florida Times-Union.
At that point, Sluss' season of "The Bachelor" was still airing and so the pictures of her out with Dobbs spoiled the fact she didn't end up with Peter Weber. The flirtation between the reality show star and the football player didn't last long, however. It did stir up a bit of drama when Dobbs was later traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, as Fox News reported that Sluss had ties to more than one Pittsburgh player.
A month after stepping out with Dobbs, TMZ spotted her in Los Angeles with Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph. "They seemed very lovey-dovey. He even opened her car door," a source told the outlet. Neither Dobbs nor Rudolph ever publicly spoke about Sluss, and it doesn't seem like there was any beef between them. As of January 2023, Sluss has been engaged to Miami Dolphins running back Jake Funk, via People. You could say she has a type.
Jocelyn Lara and Josh Dobbs have been together for over two years
Josh Dobbs keeps his romantic life private, but Jocelyn Lara first cropped up on his Instagram in July 2021. "Checking in," the Vikings QB captioned the photo, which showed him smooching Lara on a boat. Dobbs' liaison with Hannah Ann Sluss ended at some point in 2020; presumably, this was his next relationship.
Though we don't know how he and Lara first met, we can infer they crossed paths in college. Dobbs was the quarterback at the University of Tennessee, where Lara was also studying marketing, per Sportskeeda. According to her LinkedIn, Lara worked as the University's football recruiting assistant, which would have been a natural path to meeting Dobbs. She went on to serve as the executive assistant to the University of Minnesota's head football coach and works with Adidas as of November 2023, so she's clearly passionate about sports.
Dobbs hasn't publicly addressed his relationship with Lara, but until his breakout win with the Vikings, there hadn't been much scrutiny on his personal life. For now, we're looking at Instagram, where Dobbs posts pictures of Lara and calls her "my favorite person." Thus far, he's been pretty good about keeping his girlfriend out of the limelight, although that could change if he continues to win in Minnesota.
Something tells us we're going to see a lot more of the quarterback. As Dobbs told reporters in a post-game press conference for the Vikings, "I'm excited to be here in Minnesota. I'm excited to see what the future holds for us."