Broncos' starting running back given huge motivation just ahead of training camp
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Broncos' starting running back given huge motivation just ahead of training camp originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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Despite suffering major injuries throughout his career, Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins is heading into the 2026 season as the team's RB1.
In his first season with the Broncos in 2025, Dobbins was putting together a solid season until a foot injury in Week 10 sidelined for the rest of the year. Up to that point, he had rushed for 772 yards, which was fifth-most in the league.
Heading into free agency this offseason, the Broncos were considered to be one of the top contenders to sign one of the big-name running backs on the market, but instead, they somewhat surprisingly brought Dobbins back on a two-year deal.
The Broncos showed respect for the season that Dobbins had despite his history of injuries, but he didn't get that same respect from Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick of Pro Football Focus, who recently ranked all 32 starting running backs in the league. Dobbins checked in at No. 28.
"The story of Dobbins’ career has been both unfortunate and consistent: Productive play stunted by injuries. That was the case again in 2025, when he averaged 5.0 yards per carry and ranked 18th among qualified running backs with an 80.8 PFF rushing grade. However, he suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 10, which severely hampered the Broncos’ run game from that point forward. Despite that, Denver handed Dobbins a fresh two-year contract, displaying its belief in his efficiency when healthy", wrote PFF.
The only starting running backs ranked behind Dobbins were Aaron Jones of the Minnesota Vikings, Jacory Croskey-Merritt of the Washington Commanders, Chris Rodriguez of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks rookie Jadarian Price.
Broncos fans will no doubt see this as a slight on Dobbins, but the truth is, his injury history has made him hard to trust. His effectiveness in the lineup is undeniable when he's healthy, but that just hasn't been often enough. However, seeing this kind of list could easily light a fire under Dobbins, who is still just 27 years old.
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The Broncos will also use second-year back RJ Harvey and rookie Jonah Coleman to help spell him, and if the team can keep him off the injured reserve list this season, it will only increase the team's chances of reaching its final destination, Super Bowl LXI.
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