Ian Rapoport delivered a juicy nugget—at least for those with fantasy drafts coming up—Monday with news that J.K. Dobbins may not be ready for the Ravens’ season opener as he continues to rehab an ACL injury suffered last summer. In response, Dobbins guaranteed his availability for Week 1 while suggesting he may even avoid the PUP (physically unable to perform) list to begin training camp.
The running back’s adamant dismissal occurred while Rapoport was taping an episode of the Pat McAfee Show, sending McAfee into hysterics as the NFL Network insider hustled to defend himself.
“I hope he’s ready for Week 1. That would be great,” said Rapoport, backpedaling ever so slightly. “I didn’t say he’s not going to be. I just said it’s no sure thing and the Ravens protected themselves.”
While McAfee continued to tease, Rapoport said he was glad to see Dobbins speak up, even if it conflicted with his own reporting. “If I’m able to say what I believe from a very good source publicly, he should be able to react without me going into a corner and crying. It’s okay. It’s good, actually. He should be able to say that,” said Rapoport. “I hope that they don’t rush him because that was a very serious knee injury.”
No report, no matter how well-sourced, can be taken as gospel in today’s hectic world of sports media, where every situation is fluid. However, Rapoport is more plugged-in than most, lending a credibility that others in the space are still working for.
Dobbins’ confidence would suggest he’s progressing well in his recovery from last year’s surgery, though even without him, Baltimore’s backfield is plenty well-equipped, boasting veterans Mike Davis and Gus Edwards as reinforcements. The 23-year-old impressed the last time we saw him in 2020, scoring nine touchdowns while averaging an efficient 6.0 yards per carry, ranking third among NFL ball-carriers in the latter category but ironically only second on his own team behind league-leader Lamar Jackson (6.3).
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