Broncos’ $10 Million RB Sends Clear Message on Upcoming Season

If the Denver Broncos get more than what they bargained for with veteran running back J.K. Dobbins, that can almost only mean good things for the upcoming season.

Dobbins spoke with The Denver Post’s Luca Evans after signing a 1-year, $2.75 million contract with the Broncos on June 10 and made it clear that the obstacles he’s already cleared to this point in his NFL career — including a pair of catastrophic injuries — have only made him stronger and more resilient.

“I’m just wired the way where I just, I can’t give up,” Dobbins told The Denver Post. “I mean, I don’t know how to give up. I don’t know how to lay down.”

That’s the kind of approach the Broncos need at running back moving forward. Even if rookie RJ Harvey ends up being the featured back, Dobbins brings some toughness to a position group that hasn’t seen a 1,000 yard rusher since Phillip Lindsay in 2019.

Broncos Deal Pushes Dobbins Past $10 Million Mark

While Dobbins’ deal with the Broncos isn’t for a huge amount, it does represent a significant milestone for him and will bring his career earnings to approximately $10.2 million.

Dobbins had over 1,000 yards of scrimmage and 9 touchdowns for the Los Angeles Chargers in just 13 games in 2024, but the franchise drafted North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.

Denver is coming off its first playoff appearance since the 2015 season and did so without almost any semblance of a running game. They were hotly anticipated to take a running back in the first round but chose University of Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron and picked Harvey up in the second round at No. 60 overall.

Dobbins Once on Track to be Featured RB

Dobbins rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his first 2 seasons at Ohio State, then crackied 2,000 rushing yards in 2019 on the way to being named an All-American. He was drafted in the second round (No. 55 overall) in the 2020 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens and spent his first 4 seasons there.

Dobbins rushed for 805 yards and 9 touchdowns as a rookie in 15 games with just one start before playing just 9 games over the next 3 seasons due to injuries, including missing the entire 2021 season with an ACL tear suffered in the final preseason game.

While Dobbins came back to the Ravens in 2022, he suffered another injury that could have been a career ender in 2023, when he tore his Achilles tendon in Week 1.

After showing he could still get the job done with the Chargers in 2024, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport listed Dobbins as the “top value free agent” at running back in the 2025 cycle.

“Talent has never been the question with J.K. Dobbins,” Davenport wrote. “He has averaged 5.2 yards per carry for his career and set new career highs across the board in 2024 with the Los Angeles Chargers. However, durability has been a major issue. The 26-year-old has played in 15 games in a season just once in five years, missed the entire 2021 campaign and sat out four games last year with a knee injury.”