Sean Payton Compares Broncos' RB J.K. Dobbins to Saints' All-Pro

The Denver Broncos thought they knew what they were getting in J.K. Dobbins.

Oct 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins (27) runs against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Head coach Sean Payton thought he knew what he was getting when the Denver Broncos signed veteran running back J.K. Dobbins. That was in late June. Fast forward to October, and Payton has realized that Dobbins has brought much more to the Broncos than he anticipated.

On Wednesday, Payton related the pleasant surprise that has been Dobbins to an experience he had with the New Orleans Saints with linebacker Demario Davis, who would go on to earn All-Pro honors five times and Pro Bowl honors twice.

“I would say, I’ve said this a couple of times, in New Orleans, we signed a free agent a little bit later in the process, Demario Davis. We kind of saw the film and kind of knew what we were getting," Payton said. "Then when he arrived—this can happen once in a while—you get so much more."

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Remember, Payton spent 16 years of his head-coaching life in New Orleans. Most of his anecdotes are going to be drawn with the Saints, but comparing Dobbins to Davis is striking.

That's Lagniappe

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 Saints got "so much more" out of Davis than they anticipated, and the same has held true for the Broncos and Dobbins. Since arriving in Denver, Dobbins quickly established himself as a leader, not only in the running back room, but on the field and in the locker room.

"All of a sudden, you have someone who’s a captain. I would make that comparison, like, I knew the runner a little bit, but all the other things, I think, has tremendously helped the room and our team," Payton said of Dobbins. "Just the leadership, and he’s been a great addition. In New Orleans, they’d say, ‘That’s lagniappe,’ stuff you don’t expect that you got.”

Unexpected blessing or benefits is what lagniappe. Maybe a bonus you weren't expecting. That's lagniappe.

I knew Dobbins would be an upgrade to what the Broncos had the previous two years with Javonte Williams, but I didn't expect him to put up more rushing yards through the first five weeks than any running back in Denver since 2006. Dobbins has 402 rushing yards and four touchdowns, averaging 5.2 yards per carry.

Beyond that, Dobbins has been a tremendous mentor to rookie running back RJ Harvey, and a great example to Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin in the room. Payton sees the intangible qualities in Dobbins, and couldn't help but point out that it's often how smart and talented players like him manage to extend their NFL careers — the mentoring, specifically.

“The smarter ones understand the key is how long can we play in this league," Payton said of Dobbins. "He’s been fantastic.”

Extension Outlook

Dobbins is playing on a one-year deal. One of the common refrains in the live chat during Mile High Huddle's live-stream podcasts is that the Broncos need to extend the veteran running back.

That time will come, if Dobbins can stay healthy. That'll be the key, as he's yet to turn in a full 17-game season since arriving in the league as a Baltimore Ravens second-round draft pick in 2020.

Last year, with the Los Angeles Chargers, was the closest Dobbins has come, appearing in 13 games with 11 starts. If he can stay healthy in Denver, he's almost guaranteed an offer to stick around beyond 2025.

But the Broncos would be remiss to jump the gun on extending Dobbins, simply because of the health concerns. As Payton said, though, Dobbins has been "fantastic" and has delivered far more than the Broncos thought they were getting, so in that respect, perhaps all bets should be off on the extension front.