Los Angeles Chargers star running back JK Dobbins has been officially ruled out for this week’s game against the Atlanta Falcons due to a knee sprain, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Dobbins sustained the injury on Monday Night Football in a game against his former team, the Baltimore Ravens.
Rapoport adds that after this week’s game, his status ‘will be up in the air afterward.’
Dobbins led the team in rushing yards on the night with six carries for 40 yards in a 30-23 defeat.
A five-year veteran of the league, Dobbins was taken by the Ravens with the 55th pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Ohio State.
In his rookie season, Dobbins set the league alight with a career-high 805 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns in 15 games played – finishing behind quarterback Lamar Jackson in rushing yards.
Los Angeles Chargers running back JK Dobbins sustained a knee sprain against Baltimore
But things immediately took a turn for the worse when Dobbins tore his ACL in the last preseason game of the 2021 season – forcing him to miss the whole year.
Further injuries complicated his 2022 season, which saw him play only eight games. After recovering from the ACL tear in the offseason, he injured his knee again – missing Weeks 7-13.
The injury-prone Dobbins couldn’t stay healthy in the 2023 season either – tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 1 against the Houston Texans.
That brought a very premature end to his Ravens tenure as he signed a one-year deal with the Chargers this past offseason.
In the pass-heavy offense that the Chargers run, Dobbins has managed to do well for himself and is on pace to surpass his career high in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns this season.
Through eleven games, Dobbins has rushed 158 times for 766 yards and eight touchdowns.
It’s unclear how long he’s expected to miss with this sprain.
