The Baltimore Ravens suffered crushing end to their otherwise superlative-laden 2023 NFL season, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game, despite the Ravens’ defense shutting down Kansas City’s offense in the entire second half.
JK Dobbins’ Injuries Have Marred An Otherwise Promising Career
This was without their number 1 running back, JK Dobbins, coming into the season. After an excellent rookie season in the NFL in 2020, where he put up over 800 yards rushing, Dobbins has struggled with injuries, essentially ruling him out of two full seasons in 2021 (with a torn ACL), and this past season with a torn Achilles.
Despite being unable to return and aide his now former team in the playoffs, it seems like Dobbins could well be a fixture to play in the league this upcoming season.
And according to his doctor who helped fix his Achilles, he is more than capable of doing so, per Tom Pelissero.
Ex-Baltimore Ravens’ Tailback Set To Return This Season?
JK Dobbins, who has been an excellent, if not elite back, when on the field, could be on track to make a return this season, which would be consistent with the standard timeline for the injury.
However, the question as to which team will sign him remains unclear. Although this draft class is a weak one for running backs, NFL teams have been reticent to give any sort of money to backs this offseason, outside of the elite tier.
Despite Dobbins’ pedigree, it would be suprising if he gets a contract worth much more than the veteran’s minimum, around $1.2 million, with much uncertainty remaining concerning his injury history and durability.
It still seems like a team will punt on him to be their 2nd or 3rd tailback in a power run scheme. And as injuries unfortunately occur in training camp and pre-season, JK Dobbins’ market may well grow to a far larger size as we move closer to the opening of the 2024 season, than he would likely see now.
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