The Colts aren’t the only team at odds with their star running back, who’s been absent from practice amid a murky blend of contract and injury concerns. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday he’s unsure when J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore’s own starter, will join the team for on-field work, admitting the veteran’s prolonged absence could soon become a legitimate “concern.”
“You know, I don’t know,” Harbaugh said when asked when Dobbins could take the field. “It’s a fair question, and there is a point in time when it does become a concern. J.K. and I talked last night. We talk a lot. He wants to be out there, and he needs to be out there, just like any player does. Other than that, there’s nothing else I can really add. I don’t know when he’s going to come back, but I know I’m going to be really happy when he does.”
Dobbins, 24, is in a peculiar situation entering 2023. Limited to seven games the last two years due to knee injuries, the former second-round pick opened camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, enabling him to continue rehab while sitting out practice. But like the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor, he may or may not be extending his stay on PUP in protest of his current contract. He’s due just $1.8 million in 2023, the final year of his rookie deal.
“That’s a J.K. question,” Harbaugh said previously, when asked about Dobbins opening camp on the sidelines. “I wish it was a simple answer. There’s always a lot of things that go into football, but there’s some complexity to it and we’re working through all that.”
Veteran backup Melvin Gordon, who just signed with the Ravens in July, has all but confirmed Dobbins’ absence is now contract-related, recently comparing the situation to that of Jonathan Taylor. Gordon is one of several backs who’ve absorbed Dobbins’ would-be snaps at training camp, working alongside Gus Edwards and Justice Hill under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
Harbaugh, for what it’s worth, doesn’t appear too worried about Dobbins’ readiness for 2023.
“I know he’ll get ready,” he said previously. “He’s in all the meetings mentally and doing those kind of things. I also believe this about J.K.: he’ll be happy when he’s out there. He wants to be out there, and we both want the same thing.”
When healthy, Dobbins has been efficient as the Ravens’ lead ball-carrier, rushing for 805 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie and another 520 in just eight games last season. He’s averaged 5.9 yards per carry in his young career.
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Author: Cody Benjamin
August 3, 2023 | 10:46 am
