What Broncos Must Look For in a Free-Agent Running Back

The Denver Broncos could use some help at running back. And as it turns out, there are going to be quite a few free agents who could be good additions.

During the 2025 season, J.K. Dobbins established himself as the top back, and he was a key reason why the Broncos won several games in the first half of the season. However, he was lost to a season-ending injury in Week 10, and while Bo Nix played well down the stretch, the Broncos clearly missed Dobbins.

RJ Harvey had a solid rookie season but he still has areas to improve. Furthermore, he's not a workhorse back by any means and will do his best work when paired with another back.

Jaleel McLaughlin is a restricted free agent, and Tyler Badie is an exclusive rights free agent. Badie will most likely be tendered, but he's a depth player at best. If McLaughlin returns, he'll have a role, but he's not the guy to pair with Harvey.

Therefore, the Broncos will need to add a running back, but who are they most likely to add? Let's look at some of the factors that are likely to come into play.

Cost

First, it's important to consider what the top running backs are likely to get in free agency. We have several examples of running backs who would be considered featured backs and the money they received.

When Saquon Barkley first signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024, he got a three-year, $37.75 million deal. He then received an extension in 2025, but the 2024 contract is likely to set the bar for featured backs in free agency this offseason.

Another one that could set the bar is the contract Josh Jacobs got from the Green Bay Packers in 2024 for four years at $48M, as well as the extension the Buffalo Bills gave to James Cook for four years at $46M.

In other words, if you want a back like Breece Hall or Travis Etienne, you'd better be prepared to pay a significant sum. The same could hold true for Kenneth Walker III, who didn't see a lot of snaps in the regular season but played his best ball in the postseason, or Javonte Williams, who is coming off his best season as a pro in Dallas.

Other Needs

The second thing to consider is that the Broncos have other roster needs to balance, such as a tight end, a linebacker, and possibly a wide receiver. That means the Broncos may want to devote resources to those positions.

Even as the Broncos have ways to create cap space or free up cash, it's not a given that they will commit a lot of resources to a running back.

Consistency

Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins (27) runs the ball in the fourth quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders. — 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

Therefore, it's more likely the Broncos are going to look for a back who can provide a more consistent showing than Dobbins or a back who represents an upgrade over the likes of McLaughlin and Badie — in the latter case, a back who does well with the screen game and pass protection.

Starting with Dobbins, he was certainly a productive back when healthy, but his career-high mark for a season is 15 games, which came as a rookie in 2020. He's missed a lot of time with injuries, and the Broncos may want a back who hasn't missed as much time.

Rico Dowdle has been active for at least 16 games for the past three seasons, and Tyler Allgeier has never missed a game in four seasons. Both could fill the Dobbins role, but they don't have that recent injury history.

On the other hand, the Broncos could opt to bring Dobbins back, then add another veteran back who could offer more than McLaughlin and Badie do. Backs such as Kenneth Gainwell and Rachaad White could provide an upgrade for depth, though they probably aren't the backs you want to replace Dobbins.

The Broncos could also keep an eye on street free agents, though such players would again need to be an upgrade over McLaughlin and Badie, rather than somebody to replace Dobbins.

The Takeaway

Chances are, the Broncos will avoid chasing the clear featured backs and instead focus on a quality player who can pair with Harvey, whether that's bringing back Dobbins or adding a player like Dowdle or Allgeier. If Dobbins comes back, the door is open to add another inexpensive veteran.

While the 2025 season showed how important the run game was to the Broncos' offense, expect the team to focus more on other positions in free agency, where it makes more sense to commit resources to a veteran.

But Broncos fans should remember it's not imperative to have a featured back. The Broncos have shown in past seasons that a quality one-two pairing can do a lot for an offense. And that's the route Broncos fans should expect the team to most likely take.