Baltimore Ravens running back JK Dobbins is still working his way back from a torn ACL he suffered last August. Any suggestion that he will not be healed and ready to go for the start of the regular season, however, is not sitting well with him.
On Monday, Dobbins was the subject of a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport suggesting the Ravens running back might not be ready for Week 1. Rapoport reported that Dobbins is unlikely to be ready for Week 1, as the Ravens prefer to be cautious with the young back as they ease him into game action.
From NFL Now: #Ravens RB JK Dobbins is no sure thing for Week 1. He hasn’t had any setbacks. But his knee injury was a serious one, and Baltimore has no incentive to rush him back. They protected themselves with veteran Mike Davis, regardless. pic.twitter.com/j5xi6dYabU
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 18, 2022
Dobbins was quick to respond to the report, and he was not happy. In a tweet, Dobbins told Rapoport to “come to me for your source.” The 23-year-old added that his rehab was going so well that not only would he be ready for Week 1, but he might not even need to spend time on the PUP list.
Okay I’m tired of being quiet… come to me for your source @RapSheet because I might not even go on PUP because that’s how good my rehab is going and I’m damn sure going to be ready for week 1. https://t.co/gH2TqCFLM4
— Jk dobbins (@Jkdobbins22) July 18, 2022
Time will tell who is right here. Rapoport did say he got the information from someone he trusted, and he would not go public with this report if he did not believe it to be accurate. On the other hand, you would trust Dobbins to know his body and his rehab process better than anyone else, though he could just be extremely optimistic right now about his chances of playing in Week 1.
Players disputing reports about them from top NFL insiders is not necessarily anything new. In fact, this is not even the first time this offseason a Ravens player has been unhappy with a big-name NFL reporter. We’ll know soon enough who has it right in this instance.
