John Harbaugh expected running back J.K. Dobbins would be at the Baltimore Ravens' mandatory minicamp this week.
Dobbins seemed to indicate in an interview airing Thursday on WJZ-CBS Baltimore that it was a business decision rather than any ailment that kept him from hitting the field this week and fulfilling those expectations.
"The thing I can say is, I would love to be a Baltimore Raven for the rest of my career," Dobbins said after he was asked where he stood with the team after not taking the field during minicamp. "Because I love the city, I love the people. It feels like family here. Like, it feels like home here, my second home. And I hope that happens. I hope that happens."
Dobbins did not confirm nor deny if he was dealing with any injuries, per WJZ-CBS.
Prior to Dobbins' interview airing, Harbaugh told reporters after the final day of minicamp that he had hoped his lead back would be attendance.
"I expected J.K. to practice, and it just wasn't in the cards apparently," Harbaugh said, via the team website. "[He will] just get ready for training camp."
Dobbins, who tweeted back on June 1 that he wanted to be with the Ravens "till the end of my career," is due to make $1.39 million in base salary this season -- the last of his rookie contract. However, a conundrum would seemingly exist for the Ravens based off Dobbins' injury history.
Since he was drafted by Baltimore in 2020, Dobbins has flashed brilliance but been curtailed by an ACL tear in the summer of 2021.
Over three seasons with the club, he's played in just 23 games with career totals of 1,325 rushing yards (5.9 per carry) and 11 rushing touchdowns, most of those statistics coming in an 805-yard rookie season. He missed all of the 2021 campaign and nine games last year.
Now it would seem Dobbins is the latest in a line of backs disgruntled about their finances (joining the Giants' Saquon Barkley, the Chargers' Austin Ekeler and on and on).
This isn't the first time Dobbins has voiced his displeasure, but previously it was about on-field issues.
Dobbins let it be known he was upset having been injured playing in a preseason game in 2021. Following a Week 6 loss to the Giants last season, Dobbins noted he'd never had more than 15 carries in a game. And in the aftermath of his teams' season-ending 24-17 Super Wild Card Weekend defeat against the Bengals, Dobbins voiced his disdain with not having the ball in his hands when quarterback Tyler Huntley fumbled a QB sneak that was returned for a game-winning touchdown by Cincinnati's Sam Hubbard.
This also isn't the first time (this offseason) that the Ravens have had a contract squabble to remedy following the saga that was quarterback Lamar Jackson's extension.
Dobbins admitted the business side of the game isn't all puppies and rainbows.
"The business side is very hard," Dobbins said. "It's very different. But it's part of it. It's part of the dream and it's something that I'm blessed with, to deal with the business side of that. You saw with Lamar, it's never just roses and daisies. It can be hard at times. It's business, though."
When he wasn't being interviewed on WJZ-CBS, Dobbins got a chance to be a guest weatherman. Just how sunny or cloudy his future with the Ravens is remains to be seen.
