Chargers make very rare move impacting J.K. Dobbins' future

The running back free-agent market has been unkind to the position this year and former LA Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins has experienced that firsthand.

Part of the reason, of course, is the standard running back value debates that are had every year around the league; a particularly good draft class of backs also took a bite out of their value in 2025.

Even Najee Harris underperformed his expected market relative to projections that had him over $10M in average annual value. Harris received just one year guaranteed for $5.25 million with incentives that could take him up to $9 million from the Chargers.

J.K. Dobbins still remains a free agent as we make the turn into May for the same reason. In Dobbins' case, he has the added impact of his pronounced injury history. But like Harris, he was once projected to receive more interest than he ended up getting.

After weeks of no real updates around Dobbins, the Chargers finally addressed the situation with a rare move. Los Angeles used an unrestricted free-agent tender on the Ohio State product.

Chargers slap unrestricted free-agent tender on J.K. Dobbins

What does this mean for the Chargers? Dobbins will now apply to the Chargers comp pick formula if he was to sign with another team prior to training camp. However, if he is unable to come to an agreement with a squad before camp, LA retains his exclusive negotiating rights.

The Chargers are currently not projected to receive any comp picks next season, per OTC. This move would at least guarantee them a CFA slot in the calculation if Dobbins were to leave.

While there would still be an uphill battle to get one or two comp selections in the new calculation, it isn't impossible. If players like Harris or Tyler Conklin don't hit their contract-based incentives, there's a chance they could still squeak out some comp.

If Dobbins were to play on the tender next season, it would be $2.13 million. The UFA tender calls for 10% over his previous contract, which was $1.94 million last season.

However, we're still a long way out from July for possible conversations surrounding Dobbins staying on the roster. It still requires him to not sign with a team over the next two months.