Chargers activate running back J.K. Dobbins off injured reserve before Saturday's game at Patriots

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Running back J.K. Dobbins could return for the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend after being activated off injured reserve on Friday.

Dobbins missed four games after suffering a knee injury late in the first half of the Chargers’ 30-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 25. Los Angeles (9-6) can clinch its second AFC playoff berth in three years with a win at New England on Saturday.

Dobbins was fourth in the AFC in rushing with 766 yards at the time of his injury. He is averaging 4.8 yards per carry, seventh highest among NFL backs with at least 150 carries. He has been considered among the candidates for AP Comeback Player of the Year after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in last season’s opener.

After injuries derailed Dobbins’ four years with the Ravens, the 2020 second-round pick decided to bet on himself by signing only a one-year deal with the Chargers.

Dobbins' return should help bolster a running game that has struggled in his absence. The Chargers have averaged only 74.8 rushing yards in the past four games, a drop from the 118.1 they were generating before Dobbins’ injury.

The Chargers also elevated safeties Eddie Jackson and Kendall Williamson from the practice squad for Saturday's game.

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The Associated Press