Running back J.K. Dobbins has the “injury-prone” label firmly affixed to him after three years in which he was unable to stay on the field. The new Los Angeles Charger believes the worst of the problems are behind him, though.
Dobbins said he intends to completely eliminate that label this season, arguing that he is fully healthy and will not be suffering any further setbacks.
“You got the injury-prone [label] out there, but I think the storm is over with, and I think I’m going to take off now,” Dobbins said, via Kris Rhim of ESPN. “There’ll be no setbacks, and this injury-prone thing will be gone out the window.”
Perhaps Dobbins is trying to speak this into existence more than anything else. He hasn’t necessarily done anything wrong, but he tore his ACL, meniscus, and hamstring in a 2021 preseason game, sending him down a long road of injuries.
He needed arthroscopic surgery in 2022 and then tore his Achilles in Week 1 of this past season. An injury history like that will give any team pause, even if Dobbins is still only 25.
When healthy, Dobbins has been productive, averaging 5.8 yards per carry for his career. It is fair to ask whether any of Dobbins’ physical skills have been sapped by his repeated injury issues even if he is fully healthy now. The Chargers are betting that he will be just fine.
More must-reads: