To right the ship as quickly as possible for the Jim Harbaugh inaugural campaign, the Los Angeles Chargers added several pieces with one-year contracts. One of the most significant signings in that effort was JK Dobbins.
Of course, it was seen as a risk to sign him to even a short-term deal because of his devastating and pervasive injury history. But the bet has paid off, and with his success, his value has gone up significantly — meaning if the Chargers want to keep him, they have to be the highest bidder come 2025 free agency.
Will The Chargers Re-Sign Dobbins In Free Agency?
Bleacher Report has predicted that they won’t fork over the cash for Dobbins. They predict instead he will move west to the Chargers’ AFC West rival, the Las Vegas Raiders.
“The Silver and Black might want to look at a division rival to find their next starter.” BR scouts write, “J.K. Dobbins has finally managed to stay healthy long enough to showcase what he can do. Perhaps he should take that show to Vegas.”
With health a question, a situation to monitor will be his recovery from a knee injury suffered against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football. He left the game before the half and did not return to the game. A full update hasn’t been given on his status.
Can Kimani Vidal Replace Dobbins?
The scouts think the Chargers already have a good replacement option on the roster from 2024’s draft class; Kimani Vidal.
“The Chargers turned to Gus Edwards, but the veteran had 11 yards on nine carries. Hassan Haskins had one carry for three yards. Neither of them caught a single pass. Rookie Kimani Vidal was inactive for the game, but that should change if Dobbins is going to miss time. He has at least shown some juice as a pass-catcher with three catches for 49 yards and a touchdown on three targets. The Chargers spent a sixth-round pick on him, so they might as well find out what he has to offer.”
