Since entering the NFL as a second-round pick out of Ohio State with the Baltimore Ravens in 2020, veteran running back J.K. Dobbins has missed 47 games due to injury over a five-year period.

Even last fall, Dobbins had his best season since his rookie year, but he missed four games with the Los Angeles Chargers. The 26-year-old running back has been extremely resilient, bouncing back from each injury.

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After joining the Denver Broncos last week, Dobbins was asked about his extensive injury history.

“What I love about the game is that I’ve been playing it since I was a little kid,” Dobbins said last week. “It’s been a — I don’t want to say a gateway for me, but it’s been something that I could do that can take my mind off things. I had rough beginnings as a little kid, or as a younger kid. Being able to play football and come out here and be a kid, because it is a kid’s game. We get paid a king’s ransom for it. It’s a blessing. I always think of it that way. I’m just wired a way that I can’t give up. Like I don’t know how to give up. I don’t know how to lay down. That was the reason why I was able to come back from those injuries.

“It’s good for me personally, but hopefully I can touch people outside of football with that. Life can be hard sometimes. My thing is to be a blessing to other people. If they see my story and they’re like, ‘Shoot, how bad—.’ Maybe they got fired. Or you hear about CEOs all the time. They send thousands and thousands of emails, and nobody ever answers. Then in that one [instant], they made it. That’s all I’m trying to do. That’s what God put me here to do. Hard work and patience helped me get back from those.”

Dobbins totaled 1,058 yards from scrimmage last season (a career high) and scored nine touchdowns (tying a career high). He’s now set to share snaps with second-round draft pick RJ Harvey in Sean Payton’s offense. With two capable running backs, the Broncos will not need to lean on Dobbins with a heavy workload in 2025. Perhaps that can help him stay on the field for a full season for the first time in his career.

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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL: New Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins comments on his injury history