NFL Rumors: Baltimore Ravens Running Back Sitting Out, Pursuing New Contract

Baltimore Ravens star J.K. Dobbins is the latest victim of pro football's ice-cold market for running backs. The explosive back shared his frustrations about his current contract situation with WJZ-TV on Thursday, bemoaning the harsh business realities of the NFL.

“It’s part of the dream and it’s something that I’m blessed with, to deal with the business side of that.” @MarkWJZ sat down w/ @Jkdobbins22 in an exclusive interview to talk about dealing w/ the business side of football and his future in Baltimore #Ravens #RavensFlock @wjz pic.twitter.com/uEJ7SJJVob
— WJZ Sports (@WJZ13sports) June 15, 2023

"The business side is very hard. It's very different," Dobbins told WJZ-TV on Thursday, per ESPN. "You saw with Lamar [Jackson] ... It's never just roses and daisies. It can be hard at times and it's business though."

Dobbins is in the final year of his rookie contract and is looking for a deal that will keep him in Baltimore for the foreseeable future. He recently sat out the Ravens' mandatory minicamp and declined to attribute his absence to an injury.

Given the brutal realities and short shelf lives of NFL running backs, it makes sense for Dobbins to want a little bit of security, particularly given that he suffered a catastrophic knee injury in practice in 2021 and has missed 26 games through his first three seasons. Unfortunately, that bad luck is likely why the Ravens aren't eager to make a commitment.

The Ravens drafted Dobbins 55th overall in 2020 after a sensational career at Ohio State that included 4459 rushing yards and 43 total touchdowns. When available, he has been an explosive and efficient runner, averaging an impressive 5.9 yards per rush over his 226 career caries.

Lucrative long-term deals are in short supply for running backs, and fair or not, Dobbins isn't the type of player a team will break the bank for. His production is promising but hardly irreplaceable, and his injury history is troubling. As cruel as it sounds, security in the NFL is only available to the exceptional, and Dobbins will need a big season if he wants big money. Until then, he simply doesn't have any leverage: 43 players totalled more rushing yards than him in 2022.