The Denver Broncos did have some level of interest in the top free agent running backs this offseason in Kenneth Walker III and Travis Etienne, but the team was obviously not able to get either of those in the orange and blue. To be fair to the front office's process here, there is a lot of history to indicate that paying big-time money to a running back is not a wise idea.
But at the moment, Denver's offense looks the same as it did in 2025, and that could end up being a negative thing. Not only are the playmakers simply not good enough as a whole, but the backfield did take a brutal hit during the season, as J.K. Dobbins went down with a foot injury, continuing his unfortunate career-long trend of being injury-prone.
However, Dobbins did play his tail off and was on pace for over 1,300 rushing yards. Denver re-signed Dobbins on a two-year deal that can be worth up to $20 million, and on the surface, that deal seems like a bit of an overpay for a running back who has never played a full season in the NFL. However, this deal still leaves the door open for a major running back move this offseason.
J.K. Dobbins' deal with the Denver Broncos isn't truly a two-year commitment
Dobbins' two-year deal contains $8 million in fully guaranteed money, which is a solid payday for the running back. Across his career, Dobbins has amassed 3,024 yards on 582 carries, averaging a stellar 5.2 yards per carry.
Across a 17-game season, Dobbins has averaged 1,094 yards and nine touchdowns, so this is a player who is good enough to be a 1,000-yard rusher in the NFL. Anyway, the contract isn't a two-year deal at all, as the Broncos can easily move on next offseason.
The Broncos can cut Dobbins next offseason and save $8 million against their cap with just $2 million in dead money, and the potential release would not have to be a post-June 1st move. If Dobbins were to only play in another 10 games in 2026, for example, Denver could cut him when the 2027 offseason began and save a good chunk of space.
He's also set to enter his age-28 season in the NFL, so his age is beginning to slowly hit that 'regression' spot for running backs. With all of this laid out, it's abundantly clear that the Broncos can still make a major running back move this offseason, and that would likely come in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Denver could perhaps justify, for example, taking Notre Dame's Jadarian Price at pick 30 to really add another solid element into the backfield. Sure, Dobbins will likely begin the 2026 season as the team's RB1, but the financial commitment is truly minimal, and the front office surely understands that the way things transpired in 2025 cannot happen again in 2026.
The Broncos are still in a position to shoot for the moon at running back this offseason.