The story of the 2025 Denver Broncos is one of the more heartbreaking stories the NFL has seen in quite some time. This team got in a hard-fought battle against the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round and came out victorious in what was an all-time great game.
However, Bo Nix's unfortunate ankle injury not only ended the team's season, but it also surely gave this entire organization more motivation than ever to get back, as it was quite obvious that the Broncos would have advanced to the Super Bowl had Nix been healthy. Sure, Jarrett Stidham is a functional backup quarterback, but he's not close to the player Nix is.
However, while most of Broncos Country might think that Nix is the team's most important player for 2026, it's actualy someone else on the offensive side of the ball.
Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins is the team's most important player for 2026
With Nix, we're to the point now where there is a lot 'known' with him as a player. We've seen Nix operate this offense at a high level and is able to be a high-volume passer. He can not only handle this, but he's made a ton of plays with his legs in each of his seasons thus far.
At this point, Nix is a known commodity to the Broncos, and there is now an expectation of what he'll be able to do. There is another layer here, though, with Dobbins. Through the first 10 games of the season, Dobbins had rushed for just under 800 yards and was among the most efficient running backs in the NFL.
Dobbins was on pace for over 1,300 rushing yards and averaged five yards per carry, which is a stellar figure. In 2025, Dobbins ran for over 40 yards in nine of his 10 games, and averaged at least four yards per carry in eight of his 10 games, averaging over five yards per tote in five of his 10 games.
Folks, Dobbins was playing with a near elite level of efficiency in 2025, and the injury he suffered could not have been more disappointing. Given that the Broncos added Jaylen Waddle in a trade, this passing offense has everything it needs to be top-tier.
The offensive line is the best pass-blocking unit in the NFL, and there are now plenty enough options at wide receiver and tight end. Adding Waddle gives the Broncos a legitimate no. 1 target, but if Dobbins were to miss more time, the passing game would again be under a ton of pressure.
Things could get a bit top-heavy on offense, and if, like in 2025, Denver were to struggle to run the ball without Dobbins in 2026, the unit is going to plateau. This is precisely why Dobbins is the most important player on the Broncos.
If he's able to stay on the field for a majority of the season, the run game will be efficient, and it would force defenses to respect that part of Denver's offense more. This would then help skyrocket the offense, as there'd be more opportunities in the passing game to take advantage of.