3 Chargers players who are grossly underpaid in 2024
By Jason Reed
3. J.K. Dobbins
J.K. Dobbins' situation makes more sense than the other two given what happened before he signed with the Chargers. You could make the case that both Gilman and Fox gave the Chargers hometown discounts to stay in LA, whereas Dobbins was not going to get more than what the Chargers gave him.
That was a one-year deal worth the minimum. The veteran running back is making just $1.13 million on the Chargers in 2024. This is far below what his value is when he is firing on all cylinders, and in turn, may give the Chargers one of the best-valued contracts in the sport.
Dobbins is making the league minimum because of his injury history. There is no debating that he is a dynamic running back when healthy but he has not been healthy at all over the last two years. Signing Dobbins was a risk as he could very well get hurt again or he may simply not be the same running back post-injury.
While there is no guarantee that he will be great, the fact remains that Dobbins is still only 25 years old and has proven to be a dynamic player when he is on the field. With such few miles on his legs, it would not be unheard of if Dobbins returns to being one of the more productive running backs in the league for the Chargers.
And if that happens, it will become clear that Dobbins is making far less than he should be, even in a league where running back value has hit an all-time low.