EL SEGUNDO — Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins declined to speak to a reporter Friday after the team practiced and before they boarded their chartered aircraft that would take them to Atlanta. Dobbins is likely to be placed on injured reserve on Saturday because of a sprained right knee.
If so, then Dobbins would be sidelined for the next four games, including Sunday’s game against the Falcons (6-5). Dobbins was one of four players declared out Friday for Sunday’s game because of injuries, giving the Chargers (7-4) a decidedly short-handed look for Week 13.
Safety Alohi Gilman (hamstring), cornerback Cam Hart (ankle) and linebacker Denzel Perryman (groin) also were declared out for Sunday. Linebacker Daiyan Henley (calf) was listed as questionable to play. Tight end Will Dissly (groin) and outside linebacker Khalil Mack (groin) will play Sunday.
It’s possible Dobbins could be joined by one or more players on injured reserve, but Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh followed his customary method of operation and declined to name names or provide specifics. Harbaugh did say there were “possibilities the organization is looking through.”
Asked specifically about Dobbins being placed on IR, Harbaugh said, “I’ll just say there are possibilities.” Dobbins was injured in the first half of the Chargers’ 30-23 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night. He rushed for 40 yards on six carries before he was forced from the game in the second quarter.
By placing Dobbins on IR, the Chargers would get an opening on their roster. Rookie running back Kimani Vidal could be on the active roster Sunday for the first time since the team’s victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 9. Vidal filled in for four games while Gus Edwards was on IR with an ankle injury.
“We fully expect Kimani to step in if J.K. can’t go, which it doesn’t look like he will this week,” Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman said Thursday. “He’s been in there before. He might get a little bit bigger workload. We’ll see. We have full confidence in him. It’s past the midway point of the season, so there are no more rookies anymore. Everybody feels great about him.”
Dobbins is the Chargers’ leading rusher with 766 yards and eight touchdowns on 158 carries. Vidal has 44 yards on 18 carries. He also has three receptions for 49 yards and one touchdown. His first touch as an NFL player resulted in a 38-yard touchdown against the Denver Broncos in Week 6.
Roman said he did what he normally does after a player has a difficult game or the expected simply doesn’t happen, and that certainly was the case with wide receiver Quentin Johnston in Monday’s loss to the Ravens. Quarterback Justin Herbert targeted Johnston five times, and they failed to connect five times.
“Any time you have somebody who doesn’t have a good play or a couple of plays or whatnot or the game didn’t go the way we wanted or expected, you put your arm around them and uplift them,” Roman said. “Bounce back. I’m not going to get into a soliloquy about what was said, but, yeah, it’s support. Know that we’re there for them, that we believe in them and that we’ll get this thing right.”
Johnston, a first-round draft pick in 2023 from TCU, stood by his SoFi Stadium locker stall after the game Monday and answered reporters’ questions. He didn’t attempt to hide after dropping several passes, drawing boos from some Chargers fans among the 70,240 in attendance.
“I’ve kind of learned to not dwell on it too much,” Johnston said. “Just try to put it past me as much as I can. Obviously, I want to have those catches back, but I can’t do anything but learn from it. … I’ve got to get better. … Just continue to lean on your teammates for support and that kind of stuff.”
