National Football League

Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins expected to make 2022 debut vs. Patriots

Updated Sep. 25, 2022 4:06 p.m. ET

J.K. Dobbins appears ready to run again. The Baltimore Ravens running back is expected to make his much-anticipated 2022 debut Sunday against the New England Patriots.

Dobbins, 23, has been sidelined since suffering a devastating season-ending ACL tear in the Ravens' final preseason game last summer, which kept him out the entire 2021 season.

Dobbins — a second-round pick by the Ravens out of Ohio State in the 2020 NFL Draft — rushed for 805 yards and nine touchdowns during his rookie campaign.

A potential candidate for 2022 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, Dobbins previously discussed the extent of his injury and what it means to him to get back on the field with the Ravens this season ahead of Week 2.

"This injury has been tough," Dobbins said. "It wasn't just a regular ACL. It was pretty bad. It was ACL, LCL, hamstring, meniscus — so it was tough to get back to where I am right now."

Both the Ravens and the Patriots will enter Sunday's matchup (1 p.m. ET on FOX) with a 1-1 mark. Baltimore will have a chance to tie Cleveland for first place in the AFC North with a win.

Dobbins' return comes at a much-needed time for the Ravens, a team that has just 218 rushing yards on the season thus far, the 14th fewest in the league, despite having the 11th most attempts (46) through two weeks.

Headed into Week 3, quarterback Lamar Jackson leads Baltimore with 136 rushing yards. The squad's next leading rusher is Kenyan Drake with just 39 yards, followed by Justice Hill with only 20.

Fellow Ravens RB Gus Edwards is slated to miss at least three more games as he continues to rehab from his own season-ending ACL tear last year.