The Denver Broncos did a lot in the first few weeks of free agency to retain much of their offensive core from the 2025 season. Looking back in hindsight, the Broncos clearly felt as though they were one Jaylen Waddle away from a conference title, and we'll get to see if that truly was the case in the upcoming season. A big piece of that was being able to retain JK Dobbins, the Broncos' starting back from last year.
Dobbins arrived in Denver after a few years between the Ravens and, most recently, with the Chargers, and immediately immersed himself in Broncos Country. He became a fan favorite and emphatically declared himself a Denver Bronco in his heart within a few months. Dobbins was so incredibly excited to be a Bronco and put an all-time quote on the record:
"I am proving myself right that I made the right decision coming here. I appreciate everybody here. It has been a dream because I love Coach Sean Payton... he’s a great person. The offensive line is amazing, the defense is amazing, and then the ownership is amazing. Maybe I was born to be a Bronco. It just took a little time to get here, had to get over them mountains, you know.”
Dobbins clearly adores being a Bronco, and it would be fair to say that the Broncos adore having him. Payton and general manager George Paton have been on the record several times about how they feel about Dobbins' skills and abilities, making it no shock they wanted him back. What we might not have realized, however, was just how much the Broncos wanted Dobbins back.
This quote from Sean Payton shows just how much the Denver Broncos wanted Dobbins back
Dobbins is on the record as to how much he likes being a Denver Bronco, but this time it was Payton who went on the record about Dobbins and how much he likes having him on his team:
"J.K. Dobbins was a priority. Above all others. He brings ten players along with him. He had a big impact last year."
Payton has made it very clear how much Dobbins brings to his offense, and the play on the field made it perfectly clear.
In just ten games, Dobbins was able to run for nearly 800 yards on the ground, and was in the top-five in the league in rushing yards when he went down. He was the motor to the Broncos' offense, and was leading one of the best running games in the league while RJ Harvey served as an explosive complement. Both of those offensive pieces were missed once Dobbins went down, and the Broncos' rushing offense fell apart.
Possibly most importantly, this is incredible for Bo Nix. Once Dobbins went down, Nix took the entire offense on his shoulders and carried it as far as he could until his body literally gave out on him. Dobbins being back is incredible for everyone in Broncos Country, and it seems like the perfect pairing for the team and the player.