The Denver Broncos did have something special brewing in the backfield for the first 10 weeks of the 2025 NFL Season, but when J.K. Dobbins went down with a foot injury, the entire offense suffered. It was yet another season-ending injury for the talented Dobbins.
Dobbins, when on the field, is usually always one of the most efficient running backs in the NFL, and it's truly a shame that the player just has not put together a full season. For what it's worth, Dobbins seems to be beloved by his teammates and was clearly playing at a high level.
If you ask him, he'd likely saw that he would want to return to the Broncos for the 2026 season, but Denver simply cannot just bank on Dobbins remaining healthy. He's never played more than 15 games in a season in his career. With Denver on the cusp of Super Bowl contention, they should consider signing one of the top free agent running backs on the market.
Denver Broncos named a landing spot for top free agent RB Travis Etienne
Moe Moton in Bleacher Report broke down why Travis Etienne could be a fit for the Broncos.
"Last offseason, many wondered if the Jacksonville Jaguars were going to trade Etienne after they drafted Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen Jr. in the fourth and seventh rounds, respectively. He responded by bouncing back from an injury-riddled 2024 campaign and racking up 1,399 scrimmage yards along with a career-high 13 touchdowns.
According to the Kansas City Star's Pete Sweeney, Etienne is interested in signing with the Kansas City Chiefs. Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt have expiring contracts, so the Chiefs could be in desperate need for a running back.
If Etienne signs with Kansas City, he would be the lead ball-carrier for a team that needs more offensive balance as quarterback Patrick Mahomes recovers from a torn ACL. However, the Chiefs have limited cap space, which could be a factor in their pursuit of Etienne if he wants the best deal on the table.
The Denver Broncos would be an ideal suitor for Etienne. They can pay him a top-dollar salary with $28.7 million in cap space, and he would likely take over the featured position, while RJ Harvey continues to grow in primarily a pass-catching role."
There are two important details that could benefit the Broncos in the pursuit of Etienne. As Moton notes, the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted two running backs last year, and they surely did that knowing that Etienne was slated to be a free agent in 2026.
In today's NFL, it's not always a wise idea to pay for running backs, but we have begun to see this work out for certain teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Ravens, and Green Bay Packers. However, Jacksonville is a bit tight up against the cap, and when a team is in that type of situation, paying a running back is far down on the to-do list.
Moton also notes that the Kansas City Chiefs don't have a ton of cap space to play with, either. Kansas City and Jacksonville both currently have negative cap space and worse rosters than the Broncos.
For the Chiefs especially, it would make zero sense for this team to invest in a free agent running back with the other roster holes they have. The defensive line is limp, at best, and all of the secondary, linebacker room, and wide receiver room are in dire need of additions.
Overall, when considering cap space, fit, and roster status, the Broncos are in much more of a position to pay for a running back. Etienne has racked up 5,136 yards in his four healthy seasons in the NFL, including 1,399 yards and 13 touchdowns this year.
What the Broncos would get with Etienne is a reliable player, a competent runner, and an above-average receiver at the position. He's going to eat up a ton of yards on offense and would allow RJ Harvey to continue to thrive in more of a complementary role.
In 2025, Etienne ran for a respectable 1,107 yards on a solid 4.3 yards per carry. He's also played in all 17 games in three of the past four seasons, playing in 15 back in 2024. Overall, signing Etienne on a three-year deal worth around $30 million would be a solid move for the Broncos.
The offense would instantly get better, and the run game woes would disappear.