{"id":848604,"date":"2026-04-02T04:43:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T04:43:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/848604\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T04:43:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T04:43:33","slug":"broncos-rj-harvey-on-notice-after-revealing-remarks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/848604\/","title":{"rendered":"Broncos\u2019 RJ Harvey On Notice After Revealing Remarks"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"RJ\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

RJ Harvey #12 of the Denver Broncos carries the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs.<\/p>\n

Denver Broncos<\/a> head coach Sean Payton<\/a> did not mince words, and his remarks effectively put the entire running back room on notice.<\/p>\n

Payton mentioned RJ Harvey<\/a> by name, but his comments reflect on the entire group, from starter J.K. Dobbins<\/a> to reserves Jaleel McLaughlin<\/a> and Tyler Badie<\/a>, as the 2026 draft continues to get closer.<\/p>\n

Denver sits primed to address the issue further.<\/p>\n

Sean Payton Puts RB Room on Notice\"RJ<\/p>\n

GettyRJ Harvey #12 of the Denver Broncos celebrates after a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Payton spoke with reporters at the annual owners meeting in Arizona, and he addressed the Broncos\u2019 desire to improve their running game for the 2026 season. Notably, each of Badie, Dobbins, Harvey, and McLaughlin was with the Broncos this past season.<\/p>\n

That has raised questions about whether the Broncos will seek additional help at the position in the 2026 draft.<\/p>\n

Payton left the door wide open for a rookie to join the fray in April.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat could be a position that gets addressed if the opportunity presents itself,\u201d Payton told reporters<\/a> on March 31. \u201cLook, we love the way RJ played. And we ran it more consistently earlier in the year than we did later in the year. I don\u2019t like how we rushed it in the postseason. It\u2019s one way to take pressure off your quarterback, and I think that\u2019ll be a focus.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Broncos selected Harvey 60th overall in the 2025 draft. He rushed for 540 yards and 7 touchdowns on 146 carries. He posted a 96-326-5 line in his six starts after Dobbins was lost for the season to a foot injury<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Payton alluded to the Broncos\u2019 early season, when Dobbins\u2019 contributions had them among the top-10 running games in the league, but also a preparedness to hedge against his injury history.<\/p>\n

Notably, Broncos general manager George Paton<\/a> expressed faith in the Broncos\u2019 backs.<\/p>\n

The Broncos have been linked to veteran backs on the free agent and trade markets this offseason. They also re-signed Dobbins to a two-year contract<\/a>, but one that they can get out of after the first season with minimal dead money.<\/p>\n

RJ Harvey Compared to Reggie Bush\"Reggie<\/p>\n

GettyFormer USC running back Reggie Bush attends the USC game against Utah.<\/p>\n

Harvey embraced comparisons to some of Payton\u2019s former backs from his time with the New Orleans Saints<\/a>, including Alvin Kamara<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, Harvey\u2019s skill set more closely aligns with another ex-Saints star: Reggie Bush<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cHarvey sort of plays the Reggie Bush role for the Broncos the way he did for Sean Payton,\u201d KOA\u2019s Benjamin Allbright posted<\/a> on X in response to a fan following his initial report<\/a> that Denver could look to retain\u00a0 Dobbins and add a draft pick.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s just not a very natural between the tackles runner yet, which is kind of expected. He\u2019s only been a RB a few years was a HS and college QB before that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Harvey had 356 yards and 5 TDs on 47 receptions this past season.<\/p>\n

Kamara has never surpassed the 1,000-yard mark as a runner. He has tallied more than 790 yards in six of his nine seasons, though. Bush notably amassed 1,000-plus rushing yards on two occasions, neither time with New Orleans, and had another campaign with 986 yards.<\/p>\n

Bush had fewer than 600 rushing yards in all eight of his other seasons, while also battling durability issues.<\/p>\n

The Broncos hope they can coax some of Bush and Kamara out of Harvey.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tJosh Buckhalter<\/a> covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He’s based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Broncos\n\t\t<\/p>\n

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