Genius of Broncos' Apparent Offseason Blunder Will Become Clear in Time

One of the Denver Broncos' primary goals of this offseason centered around retaining the key pieces of their roster that made them successful in 2025.

Outside of the Broncos' splash addition of Jaylen Waddle to the wide receiver room, the name of the game for Denver this offseason was continuity––which makes a lot of sense considering this team comes fresh off of a 14-win season, and will be trying to find that same success with a similar roster this coming season.

Among those moves to maintain a similar outlook around the roster was the decision to re-sign J.K. Dobbins in the running back room. Denver brought him back on a two-year, $16 million deal with $8 million guaranteed.

Upon re-signing Dobbins–– and even in the months following–– the deal was met with some criticism. Whether that be because of the money that the Broncos handed out to the running back, or the call to re-sign an often-injured veteran in the first place, it wasn't a contract that everybody loved.

However, while a controversial move, it was the right one for the Broncos to make. And once getting deeper into the season, the genius of Denver's call to bring him back will be proven in due time.

Why Re-Signing J.K. Dobbins Was the Right Call

The general criticism surrounding the return of Dobbins is an argument that looks like this: “Why bring back an injury-prone, older veteran to a multi-year contract after he barely played half of last season?"

And yes, Dobbins has suffered a fair share of injuries throughout his time in the NFL.

He's played less than half of his availabile games through the past four seasons, had a season-ending foot injury in 2025, and at 27 years old, there's no telling whether or not those troubles could persist into this season.

But when looking at strictly his production in a Denver uniform last year, he was well worth a look at bringing back on. In those 10 games he was healthy, he logged over 800 all-purpose yards with four touchdowns with an effective 5.0 yards per carry––his best dating back to 2022.

He's a productive runner on the ground and a great complement to R.J. Harvey, who's able to assume his role of being a strong piece of the passing game, and work to the best of his ability when someone like Dobbins can carry a large share of the carries on the ground.

Nov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins (27) rushes the ball against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

And this offseason, the Broncos were going to be hard-pressed to find another back who was as productive as Dobbins in their touches from last season on the open market while signing him at the price that they did.

Plus, on the basis of how much he's making on his contract, it's really tough to say that the Broncos are getting a bad deal here.

With an AAV of $8 million across the next two years, Dobbins is tied for 18th on the NFL list of running backs in terms of salaries.

It's the same number that Dallas Cowboys' Javonte Williams and Chicago Bears' D'Andre Swift are making, and is less than veterans like Houston Texans' David Montgomery and Carolina Panthers' Chuba Hubbard. When judging around the market, it really tends to be a fair deal for Dobbins.

If he's healthy––and that can be a big if––that number can actually turn out to be a great one for Denver, so long as he remains as productive as he was when he was on the field in 2025. And at just 27 years old, it's hard to see him truly dropping off a cliff, especially when paired up with this elite Broncos offensive line.

Bottom Line

Time will be the true tell of whether the Broncos made the right call in bringing Dobbins back for another run. And really, a lot of that judgement will be based on whether or not his health can stay in check to play more than 13 games for the first time since his rookie season.

If he can stay on the field, this deal was a no-brainer to keep this Broncos rushing offense as solid as it was in 2025. And quite frankly, it might be considered a bargain at that.

Sign up for our free Denver Broncos On SI newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google