PITTSBURGH — The Baltimore Ravens will activate running back J.K. Dobbins off injured reserve on Saturday, league sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
To make room for Dobbins, Baltimore is waiving veteran running back Mike Davis, sources said.
The addition of Dobbins could provide a boost to a slumping ground attack.
Dobbins, the Ravens’ top back, was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 21 after having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. He has practiced the past two weeks and has looked stronger running than he did before the procedure.
“I really think that time off and what he was able to take care of is going to make a big impact on his effectiveness,” Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman said this week. “He’s really excited about being back; we’re excited about having him back.”
Parting with Davis isn’t a surprise. An eight-year veteran, Davis was at the bottom of the depth chart after running for 18 yards on eight carries.
Baltimore has the NFL’s third-ranked rushing attack, averaging 157.8 yards. But the Ravens’ run game hasn’t been the same recently. Baltimore’s running backs — Gus Edwards, Kenyan Drake and Justice Hill — have totaled 180 yards rushing over the past three games, which is 25th in the league.
Dobbins missed last season after injuring the knee in the preseason finale. He said he tore the ACL, LCL, meniscus and hamstring.
This season, Dobbins was sidelined for the first two games before returning on a limited snap count for the next four weeks. He didn’t have the same burst, averaging 3.5 yards (123 yards on 35 games). As a rookie, Dobbins averaged 6 yards (805 yards on 134 carries).
In early November, Ravens coach John Harbaugh declared Dobbins’ surgery “a smashing success.”
“When they went in — [Dr.] Leigh Ann Curl did the surgery and she told me when she went in there, the MRI didn’t tell the whole story,” Harbaugh said. “You like to think it does, [but] until you go in there you really don’t know what you have. The MRI didn’t see all the scar tissue that was in there, so what he was dealing with was very significant.”
The Ravens play at their AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.