Healthy Dobbins looks to shed injury-prone label

COSTA MESA, Calif. — After rupturing his Achilles in Week 1 last season, Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins told reporters Monday that he is back to 100 percent and is excited for the Chargers to get a player that is going to be “healthy from now on.”

“You got the injury-prone [label] out there, but I think the storm is over with, and I think I’m going to take off now,” Dobbins said. “There’ll be no setbacks, and this injury-prone thing will be gone out the window.”

Dobbins’ career has been marred by injury since the Ravens drafted him in the second round in 2020.

Dobbins tore his ACL, LCL, meniscus and hamstring in a preseason game in 2021 against the Washington Commanders, forcing him to miss the remainder of that season. Dobbins returned in 2022 but played in four of the Ravens’ first six games before having arthroscopic surgery. Dobbins returned in Week 14 and finished the season. He has played in just 24 of 73 potential games in four seasons.

“I think people all around know that it’s a high risk, high reward type thing,'” he said. “… But I think everyone around the league knows that whenever I am on the field, the numbers don’t lie.”

Dobbins is the latest former Raven to join Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles. Dobbins reunites with his former offensive coordinator Greg Roman, running back Gus Edwards, center Bradley Bozeman and many other former Ravens coaches and players. Dobbins’ best season came with Roman in 2020, when Dobbins rushed for 805 yards nine touchdowns and averaged six yards per carry.

“He sticks with the run, and that’s the identity. You want an offense that has an identity,” Dobbins said. “You don’t want to be looking everywhere else to find your identity. You want to have it. And so I think this offense has that.”

The Chargers have been one of the league’s worst rushing offenses since the Chargers drafted quarterback Justin Herbert in 2020. Past coaches have discussed a desire to improve their rushing offense game each season, but the attempts have all been futile. Last season, the Chargers averaged 96.6 yards per game, 25th in the NFL.

But Harbaugh and Roman have always had dominant rushing offenses, and they plan to continue that in L.A. with a running game that makes Herbert’s life easier and an even better player. Dobbins will play a significant role in that.

“A lot of people call this a passing league, but I think you got to run the ball to win the Super Bowl,” he said. “If you look at the teams that win the Super Bowl, they can run the ball. They control the clock, so if we are both good, it’ll look great. Beautiful.”

Dobbins said he feels prepared to practice at full speed and is ready for training camp but said the decision ultimately lies with the team.

“I think this organization is a great organization, and the training staff is great, and so they just want what’s best for me, and they’re taking care of me,” Dobbins said. “… But like I said, if it’s up to me, yeah, I’m out there.”