The Denver Broncos have a playoff run ahead of them, but the crazy thing is that NFL Free Agency is about two months away. The Broncos don't exactly have one eye on the future, but the future is coming fast, whether we like it or not.
Even though the fan base is focused on the postseason right now, justifiably so, there are decisions upcoming for the Broncos that will loom large for the team's ability to compete for championships going forward. One position that absolutely has to be addressed (again) in the 2026 offseason is the running back position.
JK Dobbins was enjoying a career year for the Broncos prior to his Lisfranc injury against the Raiders, and as great a fit as he has been, the team is going to need to look into alternate options in free agency to complement RJ Harvey. Spotrac's projected market value for one player, in particular, could give the Broncos an ideal solution for less than $2 million.
Tyler Allgeier could solve Broncos' running back issues for less than $2 million
It might not be as star-studded as the class of 2024 at the running back position, but there will undoubtedly be some quality players hitting the open market in 2026. One of the most underrated might be Atlanta Falcons free agent Tyler Allgeier, who has been playing extremely well in the shadow of Bijan Robinson for the past couple of seasons.
Allgeier ran for over 1,000 yards in his rookie year with the Falcons and just had a career-best eight rushing touchdowns as their RB2 in the 2025 season. At 25 going on 26 this coming year, Allgeier is the ideal type of free agent running back to add if you need someone to complement your running game and bring that physical element to the table.
He's got great size at 5-foot-10, 225 pounds, and has a nose for the end zone. The Broncos need someone to come in and complement RJ Harvey, and while the possibility exists that they could simply bring back JK Dobbins, Allgeier has less wear and tear on his body at this point and might be the better overall option.
Plus, Spotrac projects Dobbins to receive a contract north of $9 million per season, which seems a bit far-fetched. Frankly, the projection of Allgeier at $1.8 million per season feels even more far-fetched, but looking at some comparables, it might not be out of the realm of possibility to get him for less than $5 million per season.
Javonte Williams signed last year for $3 million with Dallas. The Panthers got Rico Dowdle for less than $3 million. There have been a number of other running backs with similar experience to that of Allgeier who signed for marginal deals in free agency, and maybe that's just a reflection of the current market for running backs as a whole.
The Broncos will have the potential to add a game-changing option to the offense for pennies on the dollar compared to other skill positions these days. Regardless if it's going to be bringing JK Dobbins back, going after someone like Allgeier, or even making a move for someone like Breece Hall.
Whatever the solution is going to be at running back, it's going to be a relatively inexpensive move to give Denver a huge jolt offensively.