The Denver Broncos running back room has been one of the more notable units on the roster in recent years. Following the 2024 campaign, the Broncos went in a nearly brand-new direction, bringing in J.K. Dobbins in free agency and RJ Harvey in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The change was well-received among most, and the unit was off to a great start. Dobbins himself was a top-5 running back during his 10-game 2025 campaign, as he had just under 800 rushing yards over that period, and was on pace for over 1,300 yards.
But the injury bug keeps following Dobbins. Now on his third team, he's been injured at all three stops during his career. Despite only suiting up for 10 games in 2025, Dobbins was able to ink a two-year extension with the Broncos in free agency. The deal is, practically speaking, a one-year contract worth $8 million, but it can be worth up to $20 million over two years. However, some recent bombshell reporting would indicate that Dobbins was not the team's first plan in free agency at the position.
Denver Broncos clearly wanted RB Travis Etienne over J.K. Dobbins in free agency
Mike Sando's blurb in The Athletic about the Broncos running back plans paints a much different picture than what is currently present in the room:
"Another exec said the Broncos thought they were going to sign former Jaguars running back Travis Etienne, only to have the Saints land him instead.
“They were shocked,” this exec said.
Denver later re-signed running back J.K. Dobbins."
However, Sean Payton recently talked about just how badly this team wanted Dobbins back in the mix:
"J.K. Dobbins was a priority. Above all others. He brings ten players along with him. He had a big impact last year."
Sando's reporting clearly indicates that Denver expected to land now New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne in free agency. It is a bit odd that the Broncos were apparently shocked, as Etienne is from Louisiana, so it was an obvious homecoming for the former Jacksonville Jaguar.
Denver then, obviously, re-signed Dobbins. Payton spoke to the media recently and had talked about how Dobbins was a priority "above all others," but it's clear that some context is needed here. Given that the Broncos were in on Etienne, or at least had some level of interest, Dobbins being a priority is simply untrue.
However, the former Baltimore Raven and Los Angeles Charger became a priority when Etienne went to New Orleans. So yes, while Payton's words aren't necessarily wrong, he's leaving out a major detail about a likely heavy pursuit of Etienne.
Had the Broncos landed Etienne, Dobbins likely does not get brought back and might still be on the free agency market. With Dobbins back in the picture, it does force the Broncos to add an additional running back, which will likely come in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Dobbins' unfortunate injury history makes it flat-out impossible to rely on him as the RB1 for an entire season. What we could see in 2026 is a three-headed monster featuring Dobbins, Harvey, and perhaps someone like Jonah Coleman, a sturdily built running back from Washington.
At the end of the day, Denver being forced to find a third notable running back might end up benefitting the team in the long run, as they'd get another fresh set of legs, and that likely would not at all be the case with a workhorse like Etienne in the picture.