NFL Rumors: San Diego Chargers to Sign Aaron Dobson After Keenan Allen Ruled Out For Season

Sep 14, 2016 10:14 AM EDT

After it was confirmed that Keenan Allen suffered a major injury during Week 1 of the 2016 NFL season, rumors started to fly that the San Diego Chargers might bring in a new wide receiver to replace him. One of the players that has been linked to the team is Aaron Dobson, who was recently released by the New England Patriots.

The season-opener of the Chargers against the Kansas City Chiefs turned out to be a sad day for San Diego fans after seeing the team's star player go down during the first half of the game. Following the match, the Chargers confirmed that Allen has a torn ACL, an injury that could force him to miss out on the entire season.

"He's hurt and it's a sad moment that you hate to be a part of," Allen's teammate Melvin Gordon said. "He has all the ability in the world, and he'll come back stronger than ever. I truly believe that. He'll continue to work and build from there."

Now that Allen has been placed on the team's injured reserve list, the team could turn to its remaining wide receivers such as Travis Benjamin, Tyrell Williams, Dontrell Inman and Isaiah Burse. But, another option for the Chargers is to bring in Dobson, who was released by the Patriots on Sept. 3.

Given his veteran status and professional experience, Dobson can certainly make a good addition to the Chargers' roster. The problem here, however, is that there is a reason why he was released by the Patriots in the first place.

During his three seasons with the team, Dobson only played in 24 games due to constant injuries. In addition, although he is extremely talented as a wide receiver, his performance on the field is a bit inconsistent, which is a major factor that would make any team think twice before signing him.

Given that Allen as the Chargers' star player, it's probably safe to say that the team is feeling a bit desperate in re-forming its roster again. But, the Chargers are not desperate enough to immediately go after Dobson.

Before bringing in an outsider, the team will most likely evaluate its other players first to see who can be promoted from the practice squad.