The free-agent running back market was incredibly busy early this offseason, but there are still some quality backs out there who have yet to be signed. One of those backs is former Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins, who is coming off a torn Achilles but is taking free-agent visits.
The back's surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, wrote a letter to NFL teams noting that Dobbins has been cleared for football activities and added that he's looked "outstanding" in his recovery. In the wake of that letter, Dobbins visited the Chargers last Thursday, according to ESPN. He's now visiting the Kansas City Chiefs on Tuesday, again per ESPN.
The Los Angeles Chargers are ushering in a new era in their backfield. In the wake of losing Austin Ekeler to the Commanders in free agency, the club already brought in veteran Gus Edwards. What makes the Chargers an interesting potential landing spot for Dobbins is that Greg Roman, his former offensive coordinator during his first three seasons with Baltimore, is now running the offense in L.A. as its OC under head coach Jim Harbaugh. That connection is likely a key reason why Edwards was brought out west and why Dobbins is getting a look by the Chargers as well.
On top of Edwards, the Chargers backfield currently consists of Isaiah Spiller, Elijah Dotson, and Jaret Patterson.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, have Isiah Pacheco as their incumbent starter, but have only La'Mical Perine, Deneric Prince, and Keontay Ingram behind him on the depth chart. Kansas City has a history of bringing in well-pedigreed running backs as backups under Andy Reid, with players like LeSean McCoy, Melvin Gordon, and more signing there at different times. In the wake of his injury, taking on a smaller role on a contender could be of interest to Dobbins.
Injuries have been a major subject of Dobbins' NFL story thus far. After a breakout rookie season in 2020, he suffered a torn ACL that erased his entire sophomore campaign. Then, Dobbins was hobbled by another knee injury that limited him to eight games in 2022. When you add on the Achilles tear in the opener last year, Dobbins has played in just 24 games over his first four years in the league.
All that said, Dobbins has been an impactful back when he has been on the field. During his rookie year, he rushed for 805 yards on a six yards per carry average to go along with nine touchdowns. Even in his limited action in 2022, Dobbins still averaged 5.7 yards per carry.
