Ravens running back JK Dobbins suffered another season-ending injury in 2023, tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 1. He added to his growing list of injuries, including an anterior cruciate ligament tear in 2021 and another knee injury in 2022 that forced him to miss half the season. .
Baltimore continues to have the NFL’s best rushing offense in 2023, averaging 156.5 yards per game. But there are three reasons why the team should give the injured player another opportunity in 2024. Positive Dobbins was selected in the second round of the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft after a successful college career at Ohio State University. As a freshman, he had 805 rushing yards and nine touchdowns for the Ravens. Injuries in the 2021 and 2022 seasons brought everything to a halt.
However, Dobbins is 14-17 in rushing yards (397) and 2022 when he returns from his knee injury, according to NFL Network’s Maurice Jones-Drew. His one carry between weeks led the league in rushing yards (7.0). He was hoping to pick up where the season left off, but then he suffered another major injury. If Baltimore gives him a chance to prove himself, it could pay big dividends.
Cheap
If Dobbins is injury-free in 2023, he could be one of the best players in free agency this summer. The injury could mean Dobbins will be on a cheap one-year contract in 2024. According to Spotrac, Dobbins will likely receive a two-year, $4.36 million contract ($2.1 million per year). But that doesn’t seem likely after his season-ending injury. According to Pro Football Focus, the biggest beneficiaries of this transfer will be the Ravens, who have only $13.65 million in cap space. The ability to bring back a potentially impactful player for a low price could help Baltimore contend for another Super Bowl next year.
Still young
Dobbins will be entering his fifth year in the NFL in 2024 and he is still only 25.Maybe the most positive outcome of his injuries is that he has just 234 carries over four seasons. Veteran running backs Gus Edwards and Melvin Gordon III, who are also set to become free agents, can’t say the same as they’ve combined for 2,292 carries during their long careers. During a time that running backs have never been valued less, Dobbins gives the Ravens a low-risk, high-reward option instead of paying a veteran, who has much more mileage and will demand more money
