What a New Contract Would Look Like for Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins

J.K. Dobbins is injured, which could further cloud his extension outlook with the Denver Broncos. Still, what would a new contract look like?

Nov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins (27) runs the ball in the fourth quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Veteran running back J.K. Dobbins signed with the Denver Broncos last June and has become a valuable member of the offense. Dobbins averaged five yards per carry in his first 10 games and has two 100-yard rushing performances this season.

Dobbins signed a one-year, incentive-laden deal with the Broncos and has formed a quality pairing with second-round draft pick RJ Harvey. Dobbins suffered a foot injury against the Las Vegas Raiders, clouding his outlook vs. the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11.

Given Dobbins's contributions, it would make sense to keep him around for a couple more years. But what would it take to re-sign him to a multi-year deal?

Injury History

One thing to keep in mind about Dobbins is that he has a history of injuries. After running for 809 yards as a rookie in 2020, he missed the 2021 season, half the 2022 season, and all but one game in 2023 with injuries.

Dobbins' one season with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2024 saw him play in 13 games with 11 starts, rushing for a career-high 905 yards. Thus far, Dobbins hasn't missed a game for the Broncos, but his status for Week 11 against the Chiefs remains up in the air.

Because Dobbins has an injury history, it's not a good idea to pay him too much. But it would be a good idea to give him a raise for 2026 while giving the Broncos some protection in the following years.

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Ideal Contract

Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins (27) runs the ball in the second quarter of the NFL Week 4 Monday Night Football game between the Denver Broncos and the Cincinnati Bengals at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The ideal contract would be a three-year deal that would commit the Broncos to Dobbins in 2026, with some guaranteed money in 2027, but nothing guaranteed beyond 2027. The Broncos would need flexibility to get out of the deal in 2028, as that's when Harvey would be eligible for an extension of his own.

The best comparison might be D'Andre Swift, a former second-round pick who signed with the Chciago Bears in 2024. He got three years at $24 million with $14M fully guaranteed upon signing and an additional $1.28M guaranteed for injury only in 2025.

A contract for Dobbins wouldn't need to be structured the same way, but a three-year, $24M deal would be reasonable. If Dobbins were to get a $6M signing bonus, the Broncos could pay him a $4M base salary in 2026, then offer another $4M of a $7M base salary in 2027 that's fully guaranteed.

That deal would leave the Broncos with a $7M base salary for Dobbins in 2028, but it wouldn't be guaranteed. Cutting him that year would leave the Broncos with a $2M dead money charge from the pro-rated signing bonus.

The Takeaway

It's likely that the Broncos will hold off on any new contract for Dobbins until after the season. The Broncos might prefer to let him test the market, though it's possible they could get a deal done before free agency gets underway.

Pairing Harvey with a veteran back is ideal, and Dobbins has shown he can be the veteran in that pairing. We'll find out soon whether the Broncos see Dobbins as somebody who should stick around for a couple more seasons.