One of the more interesting free agents in the entire NFL, frankly, for 2026, is J.K. Dobbins. Dobbins has obviously struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, never playing more than 15 games in any season. Dobbins suited up for just 10 in 2025 for Denver.
The bright side here is that Dobbins was very good for the Broncos in his 10-game run with the team, and he'll likely not be expensive to retain, but with a strong running back free agent class, the Broncos might elect to move on.
We made the decision easy for them and outlined three reasons why J.K.Dobbins must be brought back in the 2026 season.
The Denver Broncos have three obvious reasons to bring J.K. Dobbins back in the 2026 season
He'll likely again be cheap
According to spotrac.com, the market value for J.K. Dobbins this offseason is a two-year deal worth $5.1 million. In 2025 with the Denver Broncos, the deal Dobbins was on was for one year and worth $2.065 million. If Denver did have the ability to re-sign Dobbins for that two-year projected deal, it would be worth just $2.5 million per season. Yes, there is a reason why the veteran running back won't be able to fetch much more, but when you look at his ability on the field, the contract is a total steal.
This would also allow the Broncos to spend more at other positions on offense like wide receiver and tight end. With Dobbins, the Broncos get a floor-raising back who obviously still has a higher ceiling. The injuries are a concern, but the inexpensive nature of his next contract should truly be a no-brainer for Denver.
His production in just 10 regular season games in 2025 cannot be overlooked.
We've talked about J.K. Dobbins' production with the Denver Broncos. Here's what he did in just 10 regular season games in 2025:
153 carries
772 yards
4 touchdowns
5.0 yards per carry
If you take that 10-game sample and average it out over a 17-game season, Dobbins was on pace to finish with:
260 carries
1,312 yards
7 touchdowns
Even though he's not been able to play a full season in the NFL, he's been highly productive in the games he's appeared in throughout his career. That's something that any NFL offense would covet. Dobbins clearly found his footing quite quickly in the backfield for Denver, and had Dobbins not gotten hurt, there's a very real chance the Broncos are playing for the Super Bowl.
I would also add this piece, and you might rolll your eyes, but it's legitimate - there is always a chance that Dobbins does end up staying healthy for a majority, if not an entire season. With his objectively efficient production with the Broncos and in previous years, re-signing him is a risk worth taking.
I would also offer up an example of a current NFL player who struggled with injuries, but seemed to put that behind him - Derwin James, in the 2019 and 2020 seasons combined, played in just 5 total regular season games.
In the five regular season games since then, he's missed just 8 games total. Not only was his production with Denver very efficient in 2025, but there's also the possibility that he does stay healthy in 2026.
His locker room presence is abundantly clear
One thing appears to be clear - J.K. Dobbins is a very well-received player in the locker room. The way he interacts with the media and his 'always smiling' mentality is something the Denver Broncos probably loved.
Some players are able to have a great impact off the field as motivators or beloved teammates - it's part of the culture in many instances. J.K. Dobbins brings that to the Denver Broncos and is surely someone many of the players would love to have back in the locker room in 2026.