J.K. Dobbins

Khalil Mack Chargers’ Top FA Priority?

January 16th, 2025 at 2:49pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Chargers are set to have 30 players hit unrestricted free agency, including several starters on both sides of the ball.

Their biggest pending free agent is Khalil Mack, who is mulling retirement after his 11th NFL season. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and general manager Joe Hortiz both recently expressed their desire to re-sign the All-Pro edge rusher, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim.

“I don’t know if it’s possible to get everybody back, but I wanna get as darn close as possible,” said Harbaugh, “and nobody more than Khalil Mack.”

However, the Chargers are unlikely to keep both Mack and Joey Bosa, who combined for just 11 sacks in the regular season. Los Angeles already has Tuli Tuipulotu and Bud Dupree on affordable contracts for the 2025 season, and Bosa’s cap hit is set to jump to $36.5MM. Cutting him would save $25.4MM, enough money to re-sign Mack and add talent elsewhere on the roster.

Mack agreed to restructure his contract with the Chargers to save cap space ahead of the 2024 season, but his void years will still result in a $8.9MM dead cap hit in 2025. Money will play a role in Mack’s decision, as will his desire to be on a contender.

Despite their first-round playoff exit, that label seems to still apply to the Chargers. They have their franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert and a championship culture-setter in Harbaugh, who led the team to a seven-win improvement in his debut season. His ability to form strong relationships with his players has led several to publicly state a desire to stay in Los Angeles.

Among them are running back J.K. Dobbins (via team editorial director Eric Smith), safety Elijah Molden (via Rhim), and defensive tackle Poona Ford (via Rhim). All three arrived in Los Angeles last offseason and quickly bought into Harbaugh’s culture.

Dobbins averaged just under 70 rushing yards per game with nine touchdowns on a one-year, $1.61MM deal with just $50k in fully guaranteed money. Crucially, after losing most of the last three years to injury, he appeared in 13 games – his most since his rookie year – and came back from a monthlong absence to play the Chargers’ last three games of the season. He’ll be looking for a pay increase after outperforming fellow former Raven Gus Edwards with a team-leading 905 rushing yards (4.6 per carry) and nine touchdowns.

Molden broke his leg in the Week 17, but recorded career-highs in starts (12), tackles (75), interceptions (three), and passes defended (seven) as a crucial part of Los Angeles’ defense. With his rookie contract expiring, Molden will be looking to catch the rising tide of safety contracts after Antoine Winfield Jr.‘s market-resetting deal last offseason.

Like Dobbins, Ford took a “prove it” deal with the Chargers and will be looking to cash in after outperforming his $1.8MM earnings. He anchored the L.A. run defense while adding three sacks, five passes defended, and the first interception of his career.

Another candidate to return to the Chargers is veteran safety Tony Jefferson, who came out of a retirement scouting gig with the Ravens to join several former coaches and teammates in Los Angeles. Jefferson revealed that he trained for just eight weeks before his tryout with the Chargers; now, he will have a full offseason to physically and mentally for the 2025 season, whether he re-signs with the Chargers or lands elsewhere.

The Chargers are currently projected to have $73.2MM in 2025 cap space, so they have plenty of money to re-sign their pending free agents. However, their need to upgrade at wide receiver will likely divert a large chunk of that money, especially if they pursue a player like Tee Higgins at the top of the market.

Chargers To Activate J.K. Dobbins

December 27th, 2024 at 2:54pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Chargers are planning to activate J.K. Dobbins from injured reserve to play in Saturday’s matchup with the Patriots, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.

Dobbins landed on IR at the end of November with a sprained MCL that forced him to miss significant time for a fourth year in a row. Unlike his previous injuries, however, Dobbins recovered within his mandatory minimum of four weeks on IR, setting him up to resume lead back duties in Los Angeles.

Dobbins was averaging a career-high 69.6 rushing yards per game before he hurt his knee. If he returns to that pace over the next two games, he’ll finish 2024 with the most regular-season rushing yards in his career. The former Ravens second-round pick totaled 805 as a rookie; he is sitting on 766 entering Week 17.

The Bolts have certainly missed their starter over the past few weeks, and the team has run into more injury trouble at running back in that span. Already one of the team’s IR activations this season, Gus Edwards has been ruled out with an ankle injury. This makes Dobbins’ return all the more important for a Chargers team that could climb to the AFC’s No. 5 seed over the final two weeks of the season. Though, the Bolts have yet to clinch a playoff berth.

That will help the Chargers clinch a playoff spot while improving Dobbins’ free agency stock. He signed a one-year, $1.61MM in Los Angeles this offseason to prove that he could still be effective after tearing his Achilles last year. While his MCL sprain reignited concerns about his durability, Dobbins has remained a dangerous ballcarrier when healthy. No other Chargers running back has broken 70 yards in a single game during his absence.

The Chargers also used standard practice squad elevations on safeties Eddie Jackson and Kendall Williamson for this weekend’s game, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim.

Chargers Designate J.K. Dobbins For Return

December 23rd, 2024 at 2:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

After missing J.K. Dobbins for the past four games, the Chargers will give their starting running back an opportunity to provide a strong ending to his first season in Los Angeles.

The Bolts are designating Dobbins for return, The Athletic’s Daniel Popper tweets. An MCL sprain halted Dobbins’ bounce-back season, offering a reminder of his issues staying healthy in Baltimore. But the former second-round pick had provided good value for a Chargers team that signed him on a low-end contract following a lost 2023 season.

Dobbins amassed 766 rushing yards this season (4.8 per carry), scoring eight touchdowns in his return from a September 2023 Achilles tear. The former Ravens starter also missed all of the 2021 season and much of the 2022 campaign due to an ACL tear. The Bolts had been using their other Baltimore import, Gus Edwards, in Dobbins’ place. Edwards figures to still be involved, but a return to a complementary role appears likely soon.

Although the Chargers are down to just two injury activations, the offseason rule change giving playoff teams two more to use during the postseason keeps the team on steady ground here. Edwards had returned off IR previously, but he has not provided the Chargers the spark his longtime teammate has this season. The higher-paid back is averaging just 3.6 yards per tote. Dobbins’ injury past still figures to keep Edwards involved, however.

Dobbins’ run of injury trouble led to an April signing, as the Bolts gave the Ohio State product a one-year deal worth just $1.61MM. Dobbins, 26, can probably do better on the 2025 market — especially after would-be free agents James Conner, Chuba Hubbard and Rhamondre Stevenson all signed extensions. The current Chargers starter will need to stay healthy, however, and his injury past will undoubtedly still factor into his market. But a bump from that $1.61MM number appears likely.

As the fifth-year back prepares an effort to boost his market, he can help a Chargers team secure playoff positioning. The Bolts are 9-6 and could rise as high as the No. 5 seed depending on results over the season’s final two weeks.

AFC West Notes: Moss, Raiders, Chargers

December 5th, 2024 at 3:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Broncos were able to contain Jerry Jeudy when they opted to use All-Pro Patrick Surtain on their former receiver, the first-year Browns contributor otherwise preyed on the team’s primary Riley Moss replacement during a dominant Monday-night showing. Free agency addition Levi Wallace struggled mightily, leading to a late-game benching and exposing an issue for a Broncos defense that had entered the game as one of the NFL’s best. The Broncos have seen Moss deliver quality play in his first season as a starter, but an MCL sprain sidelined him for Week 13. It is not certain Moss will be ready to return after Denver’s bye week.

The 2023 third-round pick is slated to need “a couple” weeks to return, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler pointing to a re-emergence against the Colts next week being in play but perhaps not a certainty. A two-week absence from an MCL sprain would be on the short end as far as recoveries go. A long-term lens reveals the Broncos nabbing an important contributor in Moss, given the looks the team’s non-Surtain corners see, but a woeful coverage effort Monday exposes a short-term issue for the wild-card contender. Denver used fifth-round rookie Kris Abrams-Draine, making his season debut, late in the game, playing him ahead of third-year cog Damarri Mathis.

Here is the latest from the AFC West:

When Antonio Pierce fired OC Luke Getsy, the Raiders installed Scott Turner as the interim play-caller. They also brought veteran Norv Turner out of retirement, with Scott indicating (via ESPN.com’s Paul Gutierrez) he spearheaded that effort. Norv, a three-time HC and Super Bowl-winning OC, had been out of the NFL since 2020. The 72-year-old coach is currently staying with his son in Las Vegas, as the Raiders attempt to find solutions on offense amid a rough season.
Norv Turner makes three former HCs on Pierce’s Vegas staff, joining Joe Philbin and Marvin Lewis. The Raiders also kept DC Patrick Graham around from Josh McDaniels‘ brief HC run while adding Getsy — the team’s second choice for OC after Kliff Kingsbury backed out during negotiations — as the top voice on offense. Getsy’s quick firing and how Pierce pieced his first staff together has drawn some internal pessimism, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes. Not having much NFL coaching experience nor possessing any college HC seasoning made Pierce a historic outlier in terms of NFL HCs, and it limited his coaching tree’s reach. Pierce leaned on his former Giants HC, Tom Coughlin, for guidance in assembling his first staff. Thus far, the Raiders are 2-10, having lost eight straight. Regardless of players’ push to have Pierce move to HC, Mark Davis is likely considering making the former interim boss a one-and-done as the full-time leader.
Ladd McConkey is battling two sprains presently. The blossoming Chargers rookie has been playing through an AC joint sprain, with Fowler adding he picked up a knee sprain against the Falcons. Jim Harbaugh was vague about the second-round wideout’s status for Sunday’s Chiefs rematch, but McConkey did log a limited practice Wednesday. McConkey, whom the team traded up for in April, has 401 more receiving yards (815) than the next-closest Charger.
J.K. Dobbins will not be part of the Chargers-Chiefs rematch, being placed on IR due to a sprained knee. Prior to going down, however, the resurgent running back picked up a $150K bonus by clearing 600 rushing yards for the season, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. The injury-prone RB signed a one-year, $1.61MM deal this offseason. The team has Gus Edwards, tied to a more lucrative deal, and sixth-round rookie Kimani Vidal as its top backs on the 53-man roster.

Chargers Place RB J.K. Dobbins, S Alohi Gilman On IR

November 30th, 2024 at 5:30pm CST by Ely Allen

The Chargers continue to deal with injuries in the running game, placing a running back on injured reserve for the second time this year. A couple weeks after the return of Gus Edwards from IR, J.K. Dobbins has been placed on the injured list. Joining Dobbins in an absence of at least four weeks is safety Alohi Gilman.

It’s frustrating news for Dobbins, who will fail to play a healthy, full season for the first time since his rookie year. Dobbins missed a game with a COVID-19 designation in his rookie season and, since then, has missed the entire 2021 season, nine games the following year, and 16 games last year. Through 12 weeks this season, it finally looked like Dobbins was going to put together a full season. Instead, the 25-year-old will miss the next four games, at least, with a sprained MCL. He’ll hope to come back for a potential playoff run at the end of the season.

Gilman is dealing with a hamstring injury that will cause him to miss his first game of the season since Week 2. Gilman’s in the first year of a new contract, after securing an extension by grading out as the seventh-best safety in the league last year, according to Pro Football Focus. Gilman has slumped in 2024, ranking 80th out of 89 graded safeties, per PFF. He’ll hope to make a return late in the season to try and turn things around.

The Chargers will fill one of the two vacated roster spots by signing veteran safety Tony Jefferson to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. The 32-year-old has extensive starting experience and has appeared in three games this year for Los Angeles. He’ll likely be included in the plan to replace Gilman over the next several weeks.

The team also named cornerback Dicaprio Bootle and linebacker Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste as standard gameday practice squad elevations for this weekend.

Chargers RB J.K. Dobbins To Miss Time

November 27th, 2024 at 8:33am CST by Sam Robinson

Injuries depressed J.K. Dobbins‘ value as a first-time free agent this offseason, leading to a deal barely north of the veteran minimum. But the Chargers have still used the former Ravens second-round pick as their clear-cut lead back this season.

Another setback will pause Dobbins’ comeback year. The fifth-year back left Monday’s Ravens matchup with a knee injury, and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates it is a sprain that will cost the current Bolts RB1 some time. Dobbins will miss this week’s Falcons matchup and is not certain to return the following week. It is an MCL sprain, ESPN’s Adam Schefter clarifies.

A setback for the Chargers, no doubt, though this is not exactly a blindsiding scenario. Dobbins missed 43 games over the course of his rookie contract with the Ravens, many of those absences coming about because of an ACL tear sustained just before the 2021 season.

Dobbins missed all of the ’21 campaign and then saw his return hit speedbumps in 2022, when nine more absences came about due to knee trouble. The Achilles tear Dobbins suffered in Week 1 of last season tanked his market, leading to a one-year deal worth $1.61MM while several other running backs — including two-time teammate Gus Edwards — landed better contracts during a busy offseason at the position.

Dobbins, however, outplayed Edwards to earn the lead Los Angeles role this season. He sits at 4.8 yards per carry (766 in total) with eight rushing touchdowns, including a go-ahead score to propel the Bolts past the Bengals in Week 11. Through 11 Chargers games, Dobbins has already set a single-season high for carries (as a pro) with 158. The former second-round pick’s previous most came as a rookie in 2020, when he handled 134 totes.

It will now be Edwards thrust into a role he was signed to play. Also missing the full 2021 season due to a knee injury, Edwards then missed a chunk of Baltimore’s 2022 season. Unlike Dobbins, however, Edwards was able to stay on the field following his rehab effort. He fetched a two-year, $6.5MM deal on Day 1 of the legal tampering period — one of the most eventful days in RB history — doing so after an 810-yard, 13-touchdown 2023 season with Baltimore.

The Bolts have not seen too much from Edwards, however; he enters Week 13 with just 206 rushing yards (3.3 per carry). Rookie sixth-rounder Kimani Vidal stands to return to the backup role he played during the stretch Edwards missed because of an ankle injury. The Chargers have become increasingly pass-happy in recent weeks, relying on Justin Herbert‘s star-level skillset after initially focusing on the ground game early in Jim Harbaugh‘s tenure.

Dobbins’ injury may increase that aerial reliance over the coming weeks, and although Dobbins’ injury may not be season-ending, his extensive past with ailments may alter the Bolts’ run-game plans for the season’s remainder. Were Dobbins to land on IR, he would miss games against the Chiefs (Week 14) and Broncos (Week 16).

Latest On Chargers’ RB Position Battle

July 12th, 2024 at 8:25pm CST by Ely Allen

The top end of the Chargers’ depth chart at running back is set to look extremely different in 2024. After rolling with Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley for the last four seasons, new head coach Jim Harbaugh and new offensive coordinator Greg Roman will be utilizing a new pair of backs this season.

While the pair is new to Los Angeles, they are no strangers to Roman. Roman was on staff in Baltimore from 2017-2022, spending the last four years of that tenure as offensive coordinator. Roman was in Baltimore when both Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins entered the NFL as Ravens, helping the team field a top rushing offense in the league during their time together.

For much of his career, Edwards has never really received the billing as RB1. Sharing a roster with such players as the late Alex Collins, Mark Ingram, and Dobbins, Edwards has always entered the season as RB2. Injuries to those players constantly put the Ravens offense in a position in which they needed to rely on Edwards. Even functioning in a dual-back rushing attack, Edwards has been extremely consistent, reaching at least 700 rushing yards in each healthy season.

Dobbins has not had the same consistency as Edwards. While he has been dynamic in stretches, averaging 5.8 yards per carry in his career and being seen as the Ravens RB1 when healthy, health has been a gigantic hurdle for the Ohio State product thus far. Since appearing in 15 games as a rookie, Dobbins has only appeared in nine of a possible 51 games since. He missed the entirety of the 2021 season, nine games in 2022, and suffered a season-ending injury in last year’s season-opener.

Now, Roman, Edwards, and Dobbins all enter their first years as Chargers. According to Daniel Popper of The Athletic, Edwards is looking set to enter his first ever season as RB1. Popper claims that Edwards so far looks to be “the clear lead back.” Likely a cautious approach to Dobbins’ injury-history, Los Angeles will depend on Edwards’ consistency. Edwards also displayed true RB1 potential last year, recording a career-high 810 rushing yards while finishing third for NFL running backs with 13 touchdowns behind only Raheem Mostert and Christian McCaffrey.

Behind Edwards, Popper believes that there is an open competition for touches, though he notes that Dobbins should be the clear winner, if healthy. Pushing Dobbins for snaps with be rookie sixth-round pick Kimani Vidal, Isaiah Spiller, Elijah Dotson, and Jaret Patterson, likely in that order. Vidal, out of Troy, rushed for 2,793 yards and 24 touchdowns in his final two years of college ball, and his fresh slate in Los Angeles should favor his opportunities if he has a good camp. Spiller and Dotson have seen minimal opportunities in their three-combined years with the team, and that doesn’t seem likely to change now, while Patterson hasn’t seen much action since his rookie year with Washington in 2021.

Chargers fans looking for a glimpse at what they can expect out of their rushing offense should have little research to do other than watching the Ravens’ offensive film of the last five years. If Popper’s perception is correct, 2024 should feature a healthy dose of Edwards as the lead back with as much Dobbins as his body will allow. Vidal will likely get some work, too, should Dobbins not be up for it, while Spiller, Dotson, and Patterson could all earn some time with strong camps.

AFC West Notes: Chargers, Broncos, Kelce

May 14th, 2024 at 4:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jim Harbaugh talked up ex-Michigan pupil J.J. McCarthy extensively before the draft — potentially leading to the unexpected Justin Herbert trade inquiries — but the latter’s prospect status affected the Chargers‘ plans. Drake Maye going off the board at No. 3 stonewalled Chargers hopes of trading down from No. 5 overall, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. Maye prompted the Giants and Vikings to propose the Patriots deals involving 2025 first-rounders. The Vikings spoke with the Chargers, but it is clear McCarthy did not drive interest the way Maye did. A trade from No. 11 to No. 5 would have cost the Vikings, who memorably interviewed Harbaugh in 2022, a future first-rounder. No major interest in the pick led to the Bolts staying at 5 and choosing Joe Alt, who is set to begin work at right tackle in Los Angeles.

Here is the latest from the AFC West:

Staying with the Chargers, they will have both their Ravens RB imports at full strength during the offseason program. Following his second major injury — an Achilles tear sustained in Week 1 — J.K. Dobbins deemed himself “100%.” “I’m 100% now,” Dobbins said, via NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe. “It was like a walk in the park, it was like a sprained ankle. It was very easy, because I had the knee [injury] — the knee was pretty hard. The Achilles was, I would say, easy, just because that’s my mentality. Got the injury-prone [label] out there, but I think that the storm is over with. I think that I’m going to take off now. There will be no setbacks.” The past injuries limited Dobbins in free agency; he signed a one-year, $1.6MM deal that comes with just $50K guaranteed. Gus Edwards landed a two-year, $6.5MM pact to rejoin Greg Roman in L.A.
After Sean Payton — upon the Broncos trading Jerry Jeudy — made it clear he wants an expanded Marvin Mims role on offense, ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold notes the second-year Denver HC drove the effort to draft Troy Franklin near the top of the fourth round. Payton texted Broncos GM George Paton before the fourth round about wanting to move up toward the top of the board to draft Franklin, whom the Broncos had Franklin graded much higher than his ultimate draft slot (No. 102). The Broncos traded Nos. 121, 136 and 207 to move up (via the Seahawks) for Bo Nix‘s top Ducks target. The Broncos still roster Courtland Sutton, though teams have called about a trade for the somewhat disgruntled wideout, but the team has now added a host of WRs — Mims, Franklin and Josh Reynolds chief among them — under Payton. Sutton and Tim Patrick remain from the John Elway GM era.
Broncos third-round pick Jonah Elliss underwent shoulder surgery late last year, but the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson notes the Utah alum has been cleared. Denver returns its top three edge rushers from last season (Nik Bonitto, Baron Browning, Jonathon Cooper), but Browning and Cooper are in contract years. Jonah Elliss, the latest son of ex-Bronco DT Luther Elliss to enter the NFL, will likely mix in as a rotational OLB to start his pro career.
The Chiefs signed off on a straight-up raise for Travis Kelce, as no new years are included in the superstar tight end’s latest deal. The future Hall of Famer remains signed through 2025, and SI.com’s Albert Breer notes no void years were added for cap purposes. The re-up increased Kelce’s 2024 cap number from $15.6MM to $19.6MM, per OverTheCap. Kelce’s 2025 cap number checks in at $19.8MM; the bulk of the 34-year-old pass catcher’s 2025 salary will become guaranteed on day 3 of the 2025 league year.
The Paton-Payton duo made a recent staff addition as well. Joey DiCresce will move from intern to full-time football data scientist with the Broncos, ESPN.com’s Seth Walder tweets.

RB J.K. Dobbins Signs With Chargers

April 24th, 2024 at 8:44am CST by Ely Allen

APRIL 24: The Bolts’ Dobbins deal carries a base value of $1.61MM, ESPN.com’s Field Yates tweets. The fifth-year running back can collect another $750K in incentives. Considering the injuries Dobbins has encountered over the past three years, a near-veteran-minimum deal is not surprising. He will team with Edwards in a Ravens-centric Chargers backfield in 2024.

APRIL 17: It’s a full Baltimore reunion in Los Angeles this offseason. After former Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman brought in a familiar face at running back in former Raven Gus Edwards, the Chargers will now be adding Edwards’ former backfield teammate J.K. Dobbins, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Dobbins joins the Chargers on a one-year deal.

Dobbins, a former second-round pick for the Ravens out of Ohio State, will likely be one of the bigger cases of “what if” in Baltimore’s recent history. Dobbins came to Baltimore following quarterback Lamar Jackson‘s unanimous MVP season in which the team went 14-2. With veteran Mark Ingram getting into his 30’s, Dobbins was brought in to add an exciting, young kick to the run game.

In his rookie season, Dobbins gave a small taste of the production he was capable of. Splitting the backfield with Edwards nearly 50-50, Dobbins led the team in rushing touchdowns (9) and led the running backs room in rushing yards (805) while averaging an impressive 6.0 yards per carry. A promising follow-up sophomore campaign was put to an end before it could even begin when Dobbins suffered a torn ACL in the team’s final preseason game, taking him out for the entire 2021 season.

Injuries continued to dog Dobbins into the 2022 season. He came back from his torn ACL in Week 3 of that year but saw limited use and production as the Ravens played it a bit safe early. After feeling some knee tightness in Week 6, though, Dobbins returned to injured reserve in order to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery. Dobbins made his second return of the season in Week 14 and announced his reemergence with a bang, eclipsing 120 rushing yards in each of his first two games back. A Tyler Huntley-led version of the offense rode Dobbins to a first half lead in their Wild Card game before seemingly abandoning that gameplan in the loss.

The Ravens were excited to finally field an offense with a healthy backfield featuring Jackson, Dobbins, and Edwards in 2023. An extension for Dobbins was even very much on the table for the Ravens. Unfortunately, the worst-case scenario occurred in the team’s season opener when Dobbins suffered a torn Achilles tendon, his second season-ending injury in three years.

Now, after a tough going over his rookie contract, Dobbins will hope to turn a new corner with a new team. He had visited Los Angeles and Kansas City and was thought to be a favorite to sign with the Chiefs before they opted to re-sign Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Talent has never been the issue when considering Dobbins as a free agent. The corny saying applies here: his biggest ability moving forward will be his availability.

The Chargers are well set up to accommodate any setbacks for Dobbins. With Edwards on the roster, Los Angeles can function in quite the same way as Baltimore did with the two. They will be able to utilize Dobbins as much as they desire while relying on the much sturdier Edwards to produce regardless. Dobbins should be getting the best of both worlds here: a second chance with a change of scenery while still be supported by familiar faces that he knows he works well with. If he doesn’t fit in LA, it’s only a one-year audition before he returns to free agency.

Chiefs To Re-Sign RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire

April 2nd, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Clyde Edwards-Helaire did not pan out as a Chiefs starter; the team found much better value in recent seventh-rounder Isiah Pacheco. But the two-time defending Super Bowl champions still have the 2020 first-round pick in their plans.

Despite losing his starting job midway through his rookie contract, Edwards-Helaire will stay with the Chiefs. The sides reached an agreement on a one-year deal Tuesday, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports. This move comes at a rather interesting point, as J.K. Dobbins is in Kansas City for a visit today.

Pacheco became a pivotal investment for the Chiefs, and the Rutgers alum commandeered the starting running back job during his rookie season. The move helped the team cover for an apparent miss on Edwards-Helaire, whom it chose shortly after winning Super Bowl LIV four years ago. Edwards-Helaire still worked as Kansas City’s top backup RB last season, starting in place of Pacheco in three games. The LSU alum averaged only 3.2 yards per carry, however, finishing with 223 yards and a touchdown in 2023.

Viewed as a potential multipurpose weapon alongside Patrick Mahomes in 2020, Edwards-Helaire totaled 138 yards in his debut and then put together a 161-yard performance against the Bills five weeks later. But injuries and fumbling issues plagued the former SEC talent.

Edwards-Helaire, 25 next week, started in Super Bowl LV and entered the 2021 season as Kansas City’s top back. But the 5-foot-7 ball carrier saw Jerick McKinnon take over as the team’s top receiving back late in 2021 — as more injury trouble intervened for the younger player. McKinnon held that role over the following two seasons, and Edwards-Helaire — who totaled 453 receiving yards for LSU’s national championship-winning team in 2019 — has not eclipsed 200 through the air since 2020.

Pacheco and McKinnon became the Chiefs’ primary backs in 2022, as Edwards-Helaire played in only 10 games. CEH did not play during the 2022 playoffs. Despite being activated off IR for Super Bowl LVII, Edwards-Helaire was a healthy scratch against the Eagles. Edwards-Helaire played in all four Chiefs playoff games last season but only logged two carries combined between the AFC championship game and Super Bowl LVIII.

This signing would seem to impact Dobbins’ chances of catching on with the Chiefs, with McKinnon also unsigned. The veteran receiving back, who has stabilized his career in Missouri after missing two full seasons previously, has made a habit of re-signing with the Chiefs after the draft. McKinnon did miss six straight games before being activated for Super Bowl LVIII. The 2014 draftee would also be going into his age-32 season in 2024. It remains to be seen if McKinnon will be back, but Edwards-Helaire will vie for the Chiefs’ RB2 role soon.

As for Dobbins, The Athletic’s Nate Taylor adds his productive visit may lead to a partnership later this offseason. But nothing is imminent as of now. Dobbins, who has been cleared for work after suffering an ACL tear in Week 1, has now visited the Chiefs and Chargers.

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