The Indianapolis Colts could use depth at the running back position. Should they pursue free agent J.K. Dobbins? Drake Wally of Sports Illustrated listed Dobbins as an impactful free agent signing for the Colts:
“This would be a risky signing for Indy given the massive injury history of J.K. Dobbins, but given his resurgence in 2024 with the Los Angeles Chargers, it can be an acquisition to help Jonathan Taylor,” Wally wrote.
As Wally mentioned, Dobbins could help out star running back Jonathan Taylor in the Colts’ backfield. Indianapolis will have a lot of decisions to make during the 2025 offseason. Should signing Dobbins be a move they should make?
Running Back J.K. Dobbins Listed as Impactful Free Agent Signing for the Indianapolis Colts
Spotlighting His Football Career
J.K. Dobbins spent three seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was a factor immediately, rushing for 181 yards in his first game. Dobbins was named MVP of the 2017 Big Ten Football Championship Game after rushing for 174 yards. He finished the season with a Freshman rushing record of 1,403 yards.
Dobbins recorded 1,053 rushing yards the following year. In 2019, he rushed for an eye-popping 2,003 yards and 21 touchdowns. He became just the first player in Buckeyes history to reach the 2,000-yard rushing mark. That’s an unbelievable accomplishment, seeing that a ton of legendary running backs have played at Ohio State. Dobbins then announced he would forgo his senior year and enter the NFL draft.
The Baltimore Ravens selected Dobbins in the second round (55th overall pick) of the 2020 NFL Draft. He rushed for 805 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie. Suffering a torn ACL during the preseason, Dobbins missed the entire 2021 season. Another knee injury forced him to miss nine games the following season. And he missed all but one game during the 2023 campaign due to a torn Achilles tendon.
Dobbins signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in April 2024. This past season, he was bitten by the injury bug once again (missed four games due to an MCL sprain). Yet, he rushed for 909 yards and nine touchdowns. He also helped quarterback Justin Herbert in the passing game, recording 32 catches for 153 yards. As a result, he is a finalist for the AP Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Should the Colts Sign Him?
Jonathan Taylor is one of the NFL’s best running backs. He had a great 2024 campaign, rushing for 1,431 yards and 11 touchdowns. However, the Colts don’t have any super-productive backups for Taylor. Zack Moss did a phenomenal job backing up Taylor in 2023. But after he left and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as a free agent, Indianapolis never replaced him.
Dobbins is a quality running back when healthy. But unfortunately, he’s rarely healthy. Needless to say, it would be too much of a risk to sign him. Instead of bringing in Dobbins, the Colts should find a backup for Taylor via the draft. Someone like Miami’s Damien Martinez, whom mock drafts have had going to Indianapolis, would be a good pickup. So no, the Colts should not sign J.K. Dobbins this offseason.
Main Photo: Thomas Shea – Imagn Images
