The Baltimore Ravens were able to hammer out a new contract with quarterback Lamar Jackson earlier this season. However, they are now dealing with another contract issue with running back J.K. Dobbins.
The second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft has recently expressed frustration with his contract situation, which led to him skipping mandatory minicamp practices. It was a hold-in situation for J.K. Dobbins, who was present during the sessions but didn’t partake in any of them.
“The business side is very hard. It’s very different,” Dobbins told WJZ-TV on Thursday (via ESPN). “You saw with Lamar [Jackson] … It’s never just roses and daisies. It can be hard at times and it’s business though.”
The Ohio State product is heading into the final year on his rookie contract and is set to earn $1.391 million for the 2023 season. Since joining the Ravens, J.K. Dobbins has certainly lived up to the hype that followed him following his collegiate career as he is second among all players with 5.9 yards per rush in his career.
However, staying on the field has been an issue for him. In three seasons, Dobbins has appeared in only 23 games. He suffered an ACL during the preseason in 2021, which cost him the entire campaign. J.K. Dobbins was able to get back on the field in 2022 but had to undergo another surgery to correct what was wrong, undergoing arthroscopic surgery in 2022.
He is reportedly dealing with another soft tissue injury, but he would not confirm that when talking to reporters. However, he did say that he has been studying the playbook and will be on the field when the Ravens start training camp in July.
“So, the thing I can say is — I would love to be a Baltimore Raven for the rest of my career,” Dobbins said. “I would love to because I love the city, I love the people. It feels like family here. It feels like my second home. And I hope that happens.”
J.K. Dobbins is facing an uphill battle when it comes to landing the kind of extension he believes he deserves. The running back market has been depressed this offseason as the position has been devalued around the league.
It is hard to imagine J.K. Dobbins cashing in this offseason, especially given his injury concerns. This is not the time for running backs to hit the open market or sign big contracts as teams just aren’t interested in offering them.
Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard and Josh Jacobs all had the franchise tag placed on them and Dalvin Cook was released by the Minnesota Vikings, who didn’t want to pay him the $10.4 million he was owed. Jamaal Williams, Miles Sanders and David Montgomery all signed multi-year deals but none landed a deal that pays more than $6 million annually.
