J.K. Dobbins came that close.

The Broncos running back said he, the team and his doctors had conversations about him playing in the AFC Championship Game but ultimately decided the best course of action was to hold off until the Super Bowl, which he “100%” would have played in.

Instead, Denver lost to New England, 10-7, on Sunday and Dobbins will have to wait until the 2026 season to make his return to the playing field from an early November Lisfranc injury in his left foot that required surgery.

“They weren’t going to let me go out there if it wasn’t good,” Dobbins told reporters Monday. “That’s the thing. A lot of people think I was rushing back, but it wasn’t a rush back. It was what my body was doing and what my body was telling us. It was that close.”

He couldn’t help but wonder what might have been had he received the green light.

“If I could have got back,” he said, pausing for a moment. “Yeah, I think I could have helped them pretty good yesterday. It was not in God’s plans. Next year I will be back.”

Dobbins hopes and indicated that he expects the return will be with the Broncos. He signed a one-year deal in June and is slated to hit free agency in March, but reiterated Monday he’d love to be back in Denver.

“It’s been a great time here in my short time here,” Dobbins said. “I think I will be here. Hopefully, I will. I’m a Bronco for life.”

Dobbins and the Broncos have several weeks to find common ground on what a future together looks like. They’ll do so with the shared knowledge of his recovery from a foot injury that is the latest in a series of major setbacks the 27-year-old has had on the injury front in his career.

Still, Dobbins was arguably the Broncos’ best offensive option over the first half of the season, rushing for 772 yards in nine-plus games and powering a rushing attack that was among the league’s best when he was healthy and fell off considerably after his injury against Las Vegas on Nov. 7.

He returned to practice in the lead-up to Sunday’s game and was a limited participant Wednesday through Friday last week.

“There were even discussions about me playing yesterday,” he said. “But this organization is so good, so great to me and they want to do right by me. They decided — we decided — to not go out there. I wanted to be out there. I wish I could have. Stupid hip-drop tackle, however many weeks ago it was. That’s what put me out. I can’t control it.

“What I can control is how I come back. I think my resume speaks for itself and I will be back even better.”

Dobbins had surgery to repair the injury after it happened and said fairly quickly he thought he had a chance to get back before this season ended.

“First it starts with God and blessing me with the ability to heal quickly,” he said. “The work ethic, too. The trainers here are really good. The doctors, everybody was on the same page. I spent hours and hours and hours in the hyperbaric chamber and all kinds of stuff just trying to get back as fast as I could. I actually felt really good, too.”

Dobbins credited Broncos ownership, head coach Sean Payton and the rest of the staff as reasons he wanted to return. He said, too, he has unfinished business in mentoring Broncos rookie running back RJ Harvey.

“Yesterday’s loss was tough because we weren’t successful on the ground,” he said. “I just tell him, ‘Go back to the film and don’t worry about what the outside noise is.’ You’re going to get better and I’m going to help you with that.

“Even if I’m not here. He’s my rookie forever. I’m attached to him and I’m going to make sure he gets better. That’s my job and I will.”

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