When the Broncos selected rookie running back RJ Harvey in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, it was somewhat difficult to gauge exactly where he fit into their plans. Harvey might have been the most experienced back in the draft, but he has a ton of wear and tear on his body already after a handful of volume-heavy seasons at UCF. It still felt as though he would enter the season as the Broncos' second back, and that came to fruition after the signing of JK Dobbins.
When the season began, his role was mostly complementary within the offensive structure. He was consistently the second option out of Denver‘s backfield, and at times appeared closer to the third spot on the depth chart rather than the top spot. He was pulled off kick return duty around the midyear point due to some incredibly avoidable mistakes, and his standing with the team was in immediate question.
His season would do a complete 180 when Dobbins went down with a foot injury that ended his season. Harvey was pressed into starting duty and has found some solid success in that role. Considering his now historic mark of 12 total touchdowns as a rookie, the Broncos must feel pretty comfortable with him as their starting back moving forward.
RJ Harvey is making the Broncos rethink their running back plans for 2026 and beyond
After Denver's win over the Chiefs, it is becoming increasingly clear that the respect and trust that both Sean Payton and Bo Nix hold in Harvey are immense. Even when he was a situational backup with a few specific skills, Harvey had a ton of trust from those around him. Even from Dobbins, the love and appreciation for Harvey is obvious.
The interesting dynamic here with Dobbins is that Harvey's strong end to the season could push Dobbins out of the Broncos' plans for 2026 and beyond. Dobbins was incredible for the Broncos to start the season, but suffered yet another season-ending injury, furthering the questions about his ability to stay healthy for all 17 games. Harvey has missed only a few snaps with injury and has been a workhorse for Payton's offense down the home stretch before the playoffs.
If Harvey can continue his strong play of late, the Broncos are going to have a tough decision to make. Since becoming a starter, Harvey has played at a pace that would put him at 850 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards over a full season, and that is as a rookie thrown into crucial starts in a playoff push. With a first NFL off-season behind him and legitimate success under him, could Harvey force the Broncos into reevaluating their 2026 running back plans?