With the first wave of free agency and the NFL Draft now firmly in the rearview mirror, more than a few notable veterans remain up for grabs.
While chatter has intensified in recent days around free agents like Keenan Allen and Amari Cooper, the market isn’t ripe for everyone.
Enter oft-injured running back J.K. Dobbins, who ran for a career-high 905 yards and nine touchdowns last season with the Los Angeles Chargers but also missed four games with a knee sprain. While Dobbins is still just 26 years old, some NFL insiders believe his lengthy injury history may be scaring some teams away.
“He had visions of dollar signs that just haven’t been there, and I don’t think they are going to be there,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio said Monday on his PFT Live podcast. “He has been linked to no one.”
Los Angeles placed the unrestricted free-agent tender on Dobbins last week, meaning it will retain exclusive negotiating rights with him if he remains unsigned by the start of training camp in July.
Long List of Injuries for Dobbins
Dobbins’ injury history is extensive, with various ailments limiting him to 37 games over his first five seasons in the NFL. After a promising rookie campaign where he rushed for 805 yards and nine touchdowns with the Baltimore Ravens, Dobbins missed all of 2021 with a torn ACL, LCL, and hamstring.
In 2022, a separate knee issue limited Dobbins to just eight games. Then in 2023, Dobbins tore his Achilles in Week 1.
Upon signing a one-year, prove-it deal with Los Angeles — where he reunited with offensive coordinator Greg Roman — Dobbins rebounded to become the primary starter in Los Angeles. Dobbins averaged 4.6 yards on a career-best 195 carries, finishing second in NFL Comeback Player of the Year voting to Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
Despite that, he hasn’t generated much interest in free agency.
Florio explained why that’s likely the case: “This is the prime example of good running back, not great, but good running back, too many injuries. ‘We can draft a guy in the late rounds, we can sign a guy undrafted, (he) will play special teams, has full tread on his tires.’
“It’s a shame that it happened, that he never got his big payday because he’s incredibly talented. But injuries are going to drag you down at that position faster than anywhere else.”
Co-host Chris Simms concurred, saying that Dobbins’ game is predicated on speed and injuries have hampered his abilities.
“No team is going to be in a hurry to sign JK Dobbins right now,” Simms bluntly stated.
Return to LA Appears Unlikely
Candice Ward/Getty J.K. Dobbins of the Los Angeles Chargers hasn’t been linked to any teams during free agency, Mike Florio says.
While Dobbins was productive during his lone season with the Chargers, a return appears unlikely. Los Angeles has invested key resources into running back this offseason, starting with signing Najee Harris to a one-year, $9.25 million deal during free agency in March.
Harris topped 1,000 yards rushing in each of his four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. On top of that, he was highly durable, starting all 68 regular-season games.
Los Angeles then used a first-round pick (22nd overall) on North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton.
Simms believes Dobbins will need to be patient before finding a new home.
“This is another one where teams are going to … evaluate, they’re going to look at their team,” Simms said. “And then if they don’t like their running back situation, they’ll go, ‘Wait, we need to get another veteran running back in here that understands protections and we can trust them to carry the ball and not fumble, do whatever.’ That’s where JK Dobbins comes in.”
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