CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In J.K. Dobbins’ first news conference as a Los Angeles Charger in April, he spoke frankly about the unfortunate way his career has unfolded.
Dobbins, a running back and second-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2020, averaged 6 yards per carry as a rookie, emerging as one of the league’s most promising running backs. But injuries derailed his career.
Dobbins played in just 24 of 73 possible games through his first four seasons. He tore his left 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.
The Ravens let Dobbins, 25, walk this offseason, instead signing former All-Pro running back Derrick Henry. Dobbins signed with the Chargers for one year and $1.61 million with just $50,000 guaranteed, a deal that reflected how much Dobbins’ stock had fallen around the league because of injuries.
Dobbins acknowledged that point in April, calling himself a “high risk, high reward” signing.
“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 in April. “There’ll be no setbacks, and this injury-prone thing will be gone out the window.”
So far, Dobbins has stuck to his word, exceeding expectations and breaking franchise rushing records through the Chargers’ first two games. In Sunday’s 26-3 win over the Panthers, Dobbins finished with 131 yards, one touchdown, and a somersault in the end zone.
He is the first player in Chargers franchise history to run for 100 yards in each of the first two games of a season, and his 266 rushing yards through two games are the most by any Chargers player in the team’s first two games of a season.
“I’ve been telling y’all offseason. No one believed me. No one believed me,” Dobbins said. “When I’m healthy, I can be one of the best.”
Dobbins averaged 7.7 yards per carry Sunday. His best play of the day came in the third quarter: Dobbins, with Gus Edwards in at fullback, bounced a run outside for 43 yards en route to the end zone.
The moment was special for Edwards, who spent four seasons with Dobbins in Baltimore before the two signed with the Chargers this offseason. Edwards, who finished with 18 carries for 59 yards, said that the touchdown and Dobbins’ performances this season have been gratifying.
“I know what he’s been through, so I want to see him eat,” Edwards told ESPN. “He’s one of the best in the league, and he’s showing it right now.”
When Jim Harbaugh took the Chargers’ head-coaching job in January, he and his staff described wanting to dominate teams by running the football, something L.A. had lacked since the days of LaDainian Tomlinson. That running philosophy is why the team selected offensive tackle Joe Alt with the fifth pick and signed Dobbins and Edwards in free agency.
Dobbins has been the perfect running back for this offense through two weeks, substantiating the vision Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman had when they took the job.
Dobbins’ role has removed the offensive burden from quarterback Justin Herbert, who, ahead of the season, averaged 39.1 passing attempts per game, the highest average in NFL history. Herbert has attempted just 46 passes through two weeks, throwing for fewer than 200 yards in both games. It’s the first time Herbert has thrown fewer than 30 passes in consecutive games.
“We’re not surprised by the success,” Herbert said. “We knew how special [Dobbins] was.”
General manager Joe Hortiz and assistant GM Chad Alexander chatted with Dobbins in the locker room postgame, where Hortiz told Dobbins, “No more flips.” Harbaugh was less concerned about the injury risk, however, and more impressed, or inspired even, with Dobbins’ celebration.
“That’s something I’ve never been able to do,” Harbaugh said. “I know people can do it rather easily. Something I always tried to do. I mean, I’ve tried to flip off a diving board into the water. I’ve tried to do it off of a trampoline.”
He continued: “I mean, only tried it once off of just the ground like he did it, and pretty much every time, for some reason, I stopped midturn. So yeah, just cool. I always admire people that could do that. It’s something I’m missing, not getting that last part of it.”