The Denver Broncos made a move to keep running back J.K. Dobbins around this offseason, locking him up on a two-year contract worth $16 million. He’s expected to share the backfield with R.J. Harvey, but the real question has always been whether Dobbins can stay healthy enough to make an impact.
He managed 10 games before a foot injury shut him down and required surgery. Up until that point, Dobbins had been rolling with 772 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 5.0 yards per carry. He was on pace to top his career-best mark of 905 yards. Once he went out, Denver’s rushing attack lost a lot of its punch.
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Now looking ahead to the 2026 season, Dobbins sounds confident in what head coach Sean Payton and play-caller Davis Webb are building. The front office went out and grabbed wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, which only makes the offense more dangerous.
J.K. Dobbins fires warning about Broncos’ loaded offense
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Dobbins described Denver’s offensive talent as an “embarrassment of riches” and sent a warning to the rest of the league.
“We’ve got another guy that just came in, Jaylen Waddle, you know what I’m saying?” Dobbins said. “Pick your poison because we’ve got Courtland Sutton, we’ve got the young Pat Bryant, we’ve got a great O-line, we’ve got everything. We’ve got an embarrassment of riches on this team of talent. I’m excited.”
“I’m gonna be fresh and I’m gonna be pissed off because I’m tired of the unfortunate stuff. I know that I can do it. It’s gonna happen this year. It’s gonna be great. I ain’t gonna spill too much, I don’t want to spill too many beans, but it’s gonna be great.”
Waddle talked recently about splitting duties with Courtland Sutton as dual No. 1 options in a passing game run by quarterback Bo Nix. Denver’s playoff exit is still a sore spot, especially because of how it ended for Nix.
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Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins receives a hand off from quarterback Bo Nix. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Nix broke a bone in his right ankle during the team’s 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round back in January. Without him, the Broncos dropped the AFC Championship Game 10-7 to the New England Patriots.
Bringing in Waddle shows the front office believes this roster is ready to compete now. Denver was a game away from facing the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX. Expectations are higher this time around, and how the team handles that pressure will tell the story.
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