Getty Image / Scott Winters
The Baltimore Ravens just brought an end to one of the NFL’s longest, highest-profile contract disputes back in April.
That dispute was between the organization and Lamar Jackson and had begun last offseason when the two sides were unable to agree on a long-term extension for Jackson before his rookie contract expired.
The Ravens even ended up using the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson before a deal was finally agreed upon.
They ended up giving Jackson a contract with the highest yearly value and 2nd most guaranteed money and were finally able to move forward knowing they’d have their star QB back next season.
Unfortunately, now it looks they have a new contract dispute with an offensive starter that they’ll need to get settled.
The team was without starting running back JK Dobbins for their minicamp this past week.
Yesterday Dobbins spoke with WJZ-TV’s Mark Viviano and revealed that the reason he missed camp was because of a contract dispute.
“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
Dobbins is currently heading into the final year of his rookie deal with the Ravens.
JK Dobbins has had a start to his NFL career that will likely make it difficult for the Ravens to figure out what exactly his value is right now in contract negotiations.
The promising running back had an impressive start to his career, averaging 6 yards per carry in his rookie season while splitting carries with Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards.
He appeared poised to take over a larger role in year two, but tore his ACL during the pre-season, costing him his entire 2nd year.
In year 3 he played just 8 games, but once again put up strong numbers when available. He ran for 520 yards in those 8 games while averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
It makes plenty of sense for Dobbins to want to secure a longer-term deal before injuries can take a toll on his career again, but the Baltimore Ravens may be hesitant because of that injury history and the state of the running back market right now.