Injury issues have hobbled Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins in recent seasons, and a health question has already popped up in Week 1.
Dobbins went down with an injury near the beginning of the second half of the Ravens’ game against the Houston Texans. What’s the latest on Dobbins as Week 1 continues?
J.K. Dobbins Injury Update
Dobbins suffered a torn Achilles against the Texans and will miss the remainder of the season, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters after the game. Dobbins’ diagnosis represents a devastating blow for a running back who had worked hard to return from multiple injuries.
NFL Network was the first to report that Dobbins had likely injured his Achilles.
#Ravens RB JK Dobbins does, in fact, have a torn Achilles, coach John Harbaugh confirmed. He’s out for the season. pic.twitter.com/efY5rPegOY
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 10, 2023
Dobbins couldn’t put any weight on his leg as he was assisted to the locker room. His arms were draped around Baltimore’s training staff as he was led off the field.
Dobbins, 24, tore his ACL during the 2022 preseason and missed the entire campaign. He missed the first two weeks of the 2023 season and then suffered another knee injury in Week 6.
Dobbins returned in December and became a focal point of the Ravens’ offense. From Weeks 14-17, Dobbins took 57 attempts for 397 yards, ranking first in rushing yards and yards per carry over that stretch.
Despite his limited season-long touches, Dobbins remained as elusive and electric as ever. He finished second in the NFL in evaded tackles per touch, while PFF charted him with nine runs of 15+ yards. Dobbins ranked sixth in breakaway rate, the percentage of his rushing attempts that went for at least 15 yards.
Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Dobbins pushed for an extension over the summer. However, the Ravens didn’t give the Ohio State product a new deal before the regular season began.
Fantasy Analysis | Who Could Replace J.K. Dobbins?
PFN Fantasy Analyst Kyle Soppe offers his thoughts on the fallout from Dobbins’ injury.
Dobbins has a checkered health history, and if this injury lingers, Gus Edwards is an interesting addition.
We all expect this Todd Monken-led offense to produce with time, and Edwards has been nothing but efficient during his NFL career.
Edwards has 10 career games with more than 15 carries — in those games, all he has done is average 87.7 yards on the ground with six rushing scores. Justice Hill deserves consideration, but Edwards is the priority add for a Ravens team that should only improve with time.