Broncos Reward J.K. Dobbins: Contract Details & Grade

The Denver Broncos have taken what some would call an unusual approach to free agency to start the 2026 offseason, in that they have focused more on retaining players from the 2025 roster, rather than adding an outside free agent.

It remains to be seen whether the approach will pay off, but with the players who have returned, we will break down the contracts the Broncos signed to determine how they fared in terms of salary and structure.

As always, we only look at multi-year contracts, not one-year contracts for cheap salaries.

In this installment, we will examine the contract of running back J.K. Dobbins. The former Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers running back averaged five yards per carry in 10 games for the Broncos, before a Lisfranc injury cost him the rest of the season.

Contract Details

Summary: Two years, $16 million, $8 million fully guaranteed, $4 million in incentives.

Contract Breakdown

2026: $4M signing bonus, $4M base salary, both fully guaranteed. Additonal $2M in incentives if Dobbins gains 1,200 total scrimmage yards.
2027: $7M base salary, $1M per-game roster bonus. Additonal $2M in incentives if Dobbins gains 1,200 total scrimmage yards.

Cap Charges

2026: $6M
2027: $10M

Gut Reaction

The Broncos were reportedly interested in other free-agent running backs, but the ones linked to them signed with other teams (exception: Breece Hall got the franchise tag). But the Broncos were able to retain Dobbins on a reasonable deal.

The Broncos are taking a chance by paying Dobbins a significant sum of money in 2026. An $8M commitment is a lot to pay for a running back who has yet to play a full season, particularly the last four seasons in which he topped the depth chart.

The good news is that the Broncos are only committed to Dobbins for 2026, but if things don't work out, they can cut him in 2027 with little trouble. He has no guaranteed money — even for injury protection — for 2027, meaning the Broncos could free $8M in cap space with just a $2M dead money charge if they have to move on.

If Dobbins does play in the bulk of games and performs well in 2026, the Broncos would keep him but still get a little protection because of the per-game roster bonus, under which he collects a portion for each game he is game-day active.

Furthermore, Dobbins has a chance to earn more money but it's contingent on playing the bulk of games and performing well. For perspective, the most yards from scrimmage Dobbins has had in a single season is 1,058 when he played with the Chargers in 2024.

Therefore, to earn the incentives, Dobbins must stay healthy and put forward his best seasons as a pro. That protects the Broncos to some degree, but if he earns those incentives, it will be well worth it.

This is a reasonable contract to give Dobbins some security for 2026 while ensuring the Broncos have a way out in 2027. It's not a risk-free deal by any means, but it's a reasonable one to pay a talented back whose only issue has been missing too many games to injury.