Free agent running back J.K. Dobbins resurrected his career last season with the Los Angeles Chargers.
He was always considered one of the most talented players at his position, but an extensive injury history had stunted his development up until last year.
It may not seem like much, but Dobbins finished with a career high 905 yards with the Chargers and it seemed like a no brainer that he would be back with the team.
However, he dealt with some injuries and consistency issues during the regular season which likely complicated his standing with the team.
Now, nearly three months after the beginning of free agency, Dobbins remains unsigned, but the latest report suggests that may not be the case for much longer.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that the former Baltimore Ravens draft pick met with the Denver Broncos earlier today.
Former #Chargers starting RB J.K. Dobbins is headed to Denver tonight to have dinner with coaches and visit the #Broncos facility Thursday, per source.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) June 4, 2025
The dynamic Dobbins, who had 1,084 yards from scrimmage and 9 TDs in 2024, now could land with an AFC West contender. pic.twitter.com/jy8S2GVnhg
The Broncos have an abundance of stars all over the field, but the one position that has consistently eluded them is the running back position.
Over the last 20 years, the team has had just one halfback eclipse the 1,100-yard mark which is practically guaranteed for a bell cow in today’s game.
Although he’s never rushed for 1,000 yards, Dobbins would instantly become the best running back the team has employed since Clinton Portis in the early 2000’s.
He showed last season that he possesses a rare combination of size, speed and toughness that allows him to churn out yards in a variety of ways.
Denver on the other hand has given up on Javonte Williams who is entering his fifth season and has not reached 900 yards since his rookie season.
Dobbins and the Broncos are far from a match made in heaven, but it is as promising of a partnership that can be created this deep into the offseason.
More must-reads:
The New York Jets opted to cut Aaron Rodgers and sign Justin Fields to replace him during the offseason. This kind of commitment to Fields should bolster his confidence, but it could also place a lot of pressure on his shoulders. To this point, Fields has looked solid in training camp, aside from a scary toe injury that was quickly resolved in July. Justin Fried of the Jet Press recently reported that Fields' training camp may have reached a new low over the weekend as the young signal caller struggled. "Justin Fields put together his best practice of the summer to this point on Friday, completing his first 12 passes en route to an excellent all-around performance. The same can't be said about his showing on Saturday, however," Fried wrote. "Fields finished the day an abysmal 2-of-10 in the air, including a drop from rookie tight end Mason Taylor. "Some of his incompletions were catchable balls, but the Jets' passing game struggles on Saturday can largely be blamed on No. 7. Fields did flash his running ability with a 25-yard rushing score on the first play of red-zone drills, but the Jets would like to see more consistency in the air from the starting quarterback. Saturday's scrimmage was far from his best showing of the summer." Fields is a runner first at the NFL level, but his arm is nothing to scoff at. For most of training camp, his arm talent has been better than advertised, but during Saturday's scrimmage, it just wasn't there. A 2 for 10 performance is unacceptable for a $40 million quarterback who was signed to take over the team. The running game should open up the passing game for the Jets, which is going to need to be the case if Fields is going to struggle like this. However, it's just one day of camp. It's nothing to be too concerned about. Just because Fields lost this specific practice doesn't mean he's heading in the wrong direction as a whole.
At Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, Sunday’s final round of the 2025 Wyndham Championship closed out the PGA Tour’s regular season. It also marked the end of an era for one of golf’s most revered broadcasters. For the last time, Ian Baker-Finch manned the hole-announcing microphone for CBS Sports, capping 30 years in the booth following a playing career that peaked with his victory at the 1991 Open Championship. Before the day was over, Tiger Woods took to X to salute "Finchy." "Congrats Finchy for 30 incredible years behind the microphone. You brought insight into things that the viewing audience could understand and relate to. From all of us—thanks for the memories." The message joined tributes from Jack Nicklaus, Jason Day, Adam Scott and others, underscoring Baker-Finch’s standing among champions past and present. Ian Baker-Finch: From Major Champion to Broadcast Mainstay Baker-Finch turned pro in 1979, winning 17 professional tournaments worldwide. His lone major title came at Royal Birkdale in 1991, where he secured the Open Championship by five strokes. After retiring in the mid-1990s, Baker-Finch transitioned smoothly into broadcasting. He cut his teeth as an analyst on Australian television before joining ESPN and ABC in 1998. In 2007, he became CBS Sports’ dedicated hole announcer, a role he held through 2025, calling golf’s defining moments with a blend of technical acumen and warm delivery. Over 19 seasons with CBS, he covered five Masters and contributed to countless PGA Tour telecasts. Throughout Woods’ five green-jacket haul (1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2019), Baker-Finch was a trusted on-course voice that helped demystify championship golf for television audiences. As a player, Baker-Finch remains one of only seven Australian men to win a major championship and is one of a select few to dominate links golf on British soil. As a broadcaster, Baker-Finch’s voice guided generations of fans through golf’s signature moments, shaping how millions understand the game’s subtleties. When the G.O.A.T. of professional golf uses his platform to honor your contribution to the sport, it signals a broadcast career worth remembering.
The Toronto Marlies signed three forwards to one-year contracts on Monday, including Alex Nylander. Nylander joined the Maple Leafs organization ahead of the 2024-25 season, recording 23 goals and 44 points in 64 games with the Marlies. The 27-year-old also played five games with the Maple Leafs, where he did not register a point. Nylander previously recorded 11 goals and 15 points in 23 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2023-24 campaign. He will be afforded a chance to make the Leafs’ roster out of training camp, but it will be an uphill battle given the team’s improved depth across their forward corps. Alex Nylander made his Leafs debut with his brother, William, during a November game against the Utah Hockey Club, where the entire team couldn’t help but be thrilled for the duo. “I think it’s great for sure,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said of the Nylander brothers playing together in November. “You know, anytime you can play with your brother and play some shifts with your brother and be on the ice with him, that’s a special thing. Very happy with both of them and their dad, who was a player in the league for a long time.” Toronto also signed Brandon Baddock and Luke Grainger to one-year deals. Baddock joined the Marlies midway through the 2024-25 season, spending the past two seasons with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. He recorded one goal in seven games with the Marlies, after registering three goals and seven points in 38 games with the IceHogs. Baddock has played in one NHL game, with the Montreal Canadiens during the 2021-22 season. Grainger recorded nine goals and 21 points in 36 games with the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder. It’s been a busy offseason for the Marlies, who previously signed five players to one-year deals on July 8, with Marko Sikic as the headliner of the group. Cedric Pare and Sam Stevens are also coming back on one-year contracts. Toronto begins its regular season against the Rochester Americans in a home-and-home through October 10-11.
The Washington Commanders are dealing with some unwanted drama as they look to build on last season's trip to the NFC Championship Game after star wide receiver Terry McLaurin requested a trade. ESPN's Bill Barnwell said that he felt the "most likely scenario" regarding the trade request is that the Commanders will have McLaurin in the lineup for their Week 1 game against the New York Giants on Sept. 7. On Monday morning, Commanders reporter Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic predicted that "the Commanders will keep McLaurin" despite the drama. "They can’t take away their star quarterback’s go-to receiver in a year when they’ve clearly gone all in to try to compete with the Eagles," Jhabvala wrote. "They don’t have much depth at receiver; Deebo Samuel isn’t a true No. 2 in workload, let alone a No. 1, and the only other proven receiver on the roster is Noah Brown, who is quite good but has a lengthy injury history." McLaurin emerged as the favorite target for quarterback Jayden Daniels as Daniels became the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year amid the run to the NFC title game, where Washington fell to the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles. According to ESPN stats, McLaurin ended the 2024 regular season with team highs of 117 targets, 82 receptions and 1,096 receiving yards. He was also second in the entire NFL with 13 touchdown catches. It remains to be seen if McLaurin will accept less money than DK Metcalf, who received a five-year, $150M deal after the Pittsburgh Steelers traded for him in March. Metcalf will turn 28 years old in December. "The Commanders also know they have much more leverage than McLaurin in his contract dispute," Jhabvala added. "He’ll be 30 in September, which means he’ll be 31 in the first season of an extension. It also means that holding out regular-season games could be career-ending. So, a deal will get done. There’s still time." As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Washington sixth among the betting favorites at +1800 odds to win Super Bowl LX. The fact that those odds haven't shifted would seem to indicate that insiders believe the Commanders will make McLaurin happy before they face the Giants on the opening Sunday of September.
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!