Bolts From The Blue
Dobbins will play for the Chargers on a one-year, $1.61 deal with $750,000 tied to incentives.
On Wednesday morning, ESPN’s Field Yates reported the official numbers for new Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins’ one-year contract. Per Yates, Dobbins’ deal carries a base value of $1.61 million while having an additional $750,000 tied to incentives.
Dobbins has played very sparingly over the past three seasons as he’s sustained a harsh number of severe injuries that have limited him to just nine games played since his rookie season where he saw time in 15 contests. After missing the entire 2021 campaign, he was on pace for 1,000 yards in 2022 with 520 yards through eight games before another injury took the second half of the season.
The 2023 season was over essentially before it started as Dobbins went down with a torn achilles after just eight carries into their week one matchup. After missing the entire year, he was finally cleared for football activity in late March.
Prior to joining the Chargers, the team’s running back room included former Ravens teammate Gus Edwards, Isaiah Spiller, and Jaret Patterson. The Bolts were desperate for bodies and they could have done so much worse than a former second-round pick who has shown legitimate promise when he’s been healthy. Now that’s the red flag, though. “When he’s been healthy” which has obviously been the majority of the time during his first four professional seasons.
Now while Dobbins’ injury resume is a bit longer, it’s tough for Chargers fans to not think back to Keenan Allen’s absence for half the 2016 season and all but one half of the 2017 before coming back to be one of the most consistent wide receivers in the NFL over the past six seasons. Dobbins CAN potentially come back and be a productive NFL running back. Now is it super likely? Maybe not, but for his price tag this year, I’m more than willing to be let down if it means also having the chance to employ an exciting and young offensive player for pennies.
