The Denver Broncos were not able to grab Kenneth Walker III or Travis Etienne in free agency, and while those two deals cannot be made official until Wednesday, they will be signed unless something flat-out major happens, which is not likely.
Walker is heading to the Kansas City Chiefs, and Etienne is headed to the New Orleans Saints. The Broncos perhaps had interest in both players but clearly did not want to pay the steep price that either player got.
They then could have pivoted back to J.K. Dobbins, their RB1 from the 2025 NFL Season. Sure, the injury-prone back only played in 10 games for the team in 2025, but when you dig a bit deeper, it's abundantly clear that re-signing Dobbins was the move in the backfield for the Broncos.
J.K. Dobbins was insanely productive on the ground, and the Denver Broncos clearly saw that
Dobbins played in 10 games for the Broncos in the 2025 season, and the Broncos were 8-2 during those games. Dobbins ran for 772 yards in those games, and that would have put him on pace for over 1,300 rushing yards had he played a full 17 games.
Of the 10 games, Dobbins ran for at least 61 yards in nine of them, and his 'low' total of the season was 40 yards, which really isn't that bad considering he was so consistently solid. Furthermore, Dobbins averaged at least 4.0 yards per carry in eight of 10 games, which is, once again, insane efficiency.
In total, his 5.0 yards per carry is something that the Broncos clearly coveted, and he also did have five games averaging over 5.0 yards per tote. Sure, the injury is a huge concern for many fans, but the Broncos are absolutely going to add another running back at some point, and that might come in the 2026 NFL Draft.
It might not be the most desired solution that fans may have wanted, but it's an easy one to see when you peel back the curtain a bit and look at just how efficient the ground game was. There is also always a chance that RJ Harvey takes a step forward as a rusher in 2026, so that's something Broncos Country needs to consider as well.
There is a 'catch' with the Broncos bringing Dobbins back, as there has to be another addition, but the team clearly sees the value in his play and what he brings into the locker room. This move makes all the sense in the world for the team.