The Denver Broncos had an efficient, difference-making run game for the first 10 weeks of the 2025 NFL Season, but the oft-injured J.K. Dobbins unfortunately went down with what turned out to be a season-ending foot injury. Dobbins was practicing leading up to the AFC Championship Game, but was not able to play.
While the Broncos did get some efficient play from Dobbins, that doesn't change the harsh truth of the situation: his inability to stay healthy could has prevented him from remaining with a team for the long-term, and it might prevent him from returning to the Broncos in 2026.
Simply put, the Broncos cannot just re-sign Dobbins and hope that he stays healthy. Fortunately, the free agency class at the position is rather deep, and while Broncos Country debates about Breece Hall, who would be a stellar signing, this underrated NFC free agent could be a slam-dunk fix for the rushing attack.
Rico Dowdle could be an underrated FA signing for the Denver Broncos
One of the more underrated signings in the NFL last year was when Rico Dowdle signed with the Carolina Panthers on a one-year deal worth just $2.75 million. In his first four games for the Panthers, Dowdle ran for just 83 yards on 28 carries and was largely a non-factor.
However, over the final 13 games of the season, Dowdle ran for 993 on 208 carries. He added five touchdowns during that stretch. If you took this stretch of efficiency from Dowdle and averaged it over a 17-game season, he would have been on pace for 1,299 yards.
Two notable things stick out with Dowdle; not only has he been consistent the past two seasons, rushing for 1,079 and 1,076 yards respectively, but he's also added 78 receptions for 546 yards during those two seasons as well. In total, Dowdle has amassed 1,328 yards in 2024 and 1,373 yards in 2025.
What he's done these past two season is hit a clear floor at the position, meaning the Broncos would absolutely know what do expect from the player if they signed him in the offseason. He's going to eat up about 82 yards per game, run for about 1,000 yards, and also bring a bit of upside as a receiver.
He's a rather complete running back and someone who would bring a stabilizing force to the Broncos running back room, and that's something the team has needed. No disrespect to Dobbins, but he's simply not been able to stay on the field, and Dowdle has.
It's not clear at the moment how much Dowdle might command on the open market, but he's got two years of solid production across two different teams, which could also prove that this production could happen on another new team in 2026.
The Broncos are entering a crucial offseason where a position like running back must be adequately solved. It became clear just how inefficient the run game was when Dobbins got hurt and left the lineup. Denver isn't able to gamble with this position anymore. Signing Dowdle when free agency opens in March would give the Broncos a proven option and someone who could keep the run game near the top of the league for the 2026 season.