One of the most talented but seemingly snakebitten players in the NFL is back to full health. Former Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins, who has averaged 5.8 yards per carry during his career but has only been able to play nine games in the last three years, is cleared for football activites, according to his surgeon.
Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who did the surgery on Dobbins’ torn Achilles suffered during the Ravens’ Week 1 win over the Texans, wrote a letter to NFL teams informing them that Dobbins is ready to go, per NFL Media, which noted that ElAttrache’s letter also stated that the running back looks “outstanding” in his recovery.
Dobbins carried 134 times for 805 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie back in 2020, but suffered a torn ACL during training camp the following year. He missed the entire 2021 season and the first two games of 2022 before returning to action, only to suffer another knee injury that knocked him out for six weeks. Finally healthy again heading into the 2023 season, Dobbins lasted just two and a half quarters before suffering the torn Achilles.
The 25-year-old enters a running back market that was extremely crowded to begin this offseason but has since thinned out as players like Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, D’Andre Swift, Austin Ekeler, and more landed larger deals than many backs had over the previous few years.
Dobbins obviously still has a ton of talent, but teams will likely be concerned with his injury history. There are teams that are still in need of running back help, and if Dobbins looks as outstanding as his surgeon claims, he should be able to help them. It’s only a matter of finding the right fit at the right time.
