After a week of deliberation following a highly publicized visit to Denver, the Broncos have added another high-impact name to an already packed backfield.<\/p>\n
The club is signing former Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins to a one-year contract, a source confirmed to The Denver Post. The deal has a base value of $2.745 million and $2.5 million in incentives for a total of up to $5.25 million, a source said.<\/p>\n
A 2020 second-round pick, Dobbins has struggled with injuries throughout his career but has proven upside when healthy, rushing for 905 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games in 2024.<\/p>\n
Broncos head coach Sean Payton played coy when asked about Dobbins\u2019 signing after Tuesday\u2019s minicamp. The news broke just a minute before his appearance in front of reporters.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not going to answer to any reports,\u201d Payton said. \u201cI think we\u2019re close.\u201d<\/p>\n
They\u2019re more than close, however. In fact, the Broncos\u2019 front office finalized the one-year pact with Dobbins while the team was on the practice field Tuesday, a source said.<\/p>\n
Dobbins will join a backfield already teeming with names, as a variety of returners have jockeyed for snaps across OTAs and minicamp. Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin seemed primed for sizeable roles again in 2025, with Tyler Badie and Blake Watson also in contention for a greater slice of the pie.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re gonna get opportunities \u2014 I said it earlier, much earlier,\u201d Payton said Tuesday. \u201cI said, look, Audric\u2019s going to get opportunities. We\u2019ve seen Jaleel. But don\u2019t try to figure out the club right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
On paper, though, Denver\u2019s primary one-two backfield punch could consist of two newcomers this fall: 2025 second-round pick RJ Harvey and Dobbins. Payton has historically preferred tandems or committees at running back. Both the rookie Harvey and Dobbins can run between the tackles and bounce outside, and Dobbins carries some receiving upside with 32 catches last year for Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
The addition carries some risk, as Dobbins averaged just 3.8 yards per carry after the opening weeks of 2024 and has yet to play a full NFL season across three years in Baltimore and last year in Los Angeles. But it\u2019s a low-cost, high-upside signing for the Broncos, who still carry a healthy dosage of cap space with a couple of months before training camp.<\/p>\n
Dobbins missed Denver\u2019s Week 16 game against the Chargers last fall but in Week 6 he rushed for 96 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. That was the third-highest individual total the Broncos allowed on the season, trailing only Jonathan Taylor\u2019s 107 \u2014 plus one massive, game-altering fumble \u2014 in Week 15 for Indianapolis and Kenneth Walker\u2019s 103 for Seattle in Week 1.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a good back,\u201d Broncos safety Brandon Jones said. \u201cWe go back a little bit to high school and college, so I\u2019m very familiar with him as a person and his game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jones and Dobbins overlapped during their Texas high school football careers and they\u2019ve seen each other in the NFL, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s one of the running backs that had one of the better rushing games against us last year, so I\u2019m super excited for him to be here,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n