Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins ‘appears unlikely’ to play in Week 2
By Justin Fried
The Baltimore Ravens have been looking forward to the long-awaited return of running back J.K. Dobbins this season, and there’s been plenty of optimism that the third-year back would be able to play this week.
Dobbins was a full participant in practice on Friday and seemingly looked ready to go for the team’s Week 2 matchup against the Miami Dolphins. But not so fast.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported early Sunday morning that Dobbins “appears unlikely” to play today despite his continued persistence. Rapoport detailed how Dobbins has been “pushing to go,” but that “the team will make sure he’s ready before he plays.”
By the look of things, it doesn’t seem as though the Ravens believe he’s quite ready to return to the field. Rapoport implied that there still was a chance, but I wouldn’t bank on him playing.
The Ravens are expected to be without J.K. Dobbins in Week 2
Dobbins is still recovering from a serious knee injury he suffered some 13 months ago. The 2020 second-round pick recently revealed the extent of said knee injury — a torn ACL, LCL, hamstring, and meniscus.
That’s about as serious of a leg injury that any player can sustain which makes it all the more impressive that Dobbins is nearing his return. Unfortunately, it seems as though he’ll have to wait at least one more week.
If Dobbins is forced to miss Sunday’s game, the Ravens will likely lean on the veteran duo of Kenyan Drake and Mike Davis again with Justice Hill sprinkled in. Drake was the de facto lead back in Week 1 and I’d expect that to be the case again.
The Ravens would love to see Dobbins out there with his teammates in front of a live crowd for the first time in his NFL career. His time will come, but the team refuses to rush him back until they believe he’s 100 percent healthy.
That’s likely the best approach at the end of the day. It’s a 17-game season plus the playoffs — the Ravens want Dobbins to be as healthy as possible throughout the remainder of the year.
Next. Analyzing the options the Ravens have to replace Kyle Fuller. dark
Don’t expect to see J.K. Dobbins in Week 2, but his return should come in the immediate future.