Instant Grade: Broncos Re-Sign Veteran RB J.K. Dobbins

However, The Denver Post's Luca Evans reported that it's actually a two-year, $16 million deal, worth up to $20 million if Dobbins hits all the incentives. That makes a lot more sense, but Dobbins earned himself an immense raise either way.

Deserving of a Raise

The Broncos signed Dobbins last June to a one-year, $2.1 million deal. He outplayed that contract, no doubt, even though his season was cut short by a plantar fascia injury suffered in Week 10 vs. the Las Vegas Raiders, which came on an illegal hip-drop tackle.

In those 10 games, Dobbins rushed for 772 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. Before he got hurt, he ranked fifth in the NFL in carries (153) and yards, while ranking fourth in touchdowns.

As The Athletic's James Palmer posted on X, Dobbins rushed for at least 60 yards in nine of those 10 games, becoming the first Broncos running back to do that since Hall-of-Famer Terrell Davis in 1998. Think of some of the running backs post-Davis — Clinton Portis, Mike Anderson, Reuben Droughns, Knowshon Moreno, Willis McGahee, C.J. Anderson, Phillip Lindsay, and Melvin Gordon — none of them pulled that off.

Dobbins was also an excellent blocker when it came to picking up the blitz, and he can catch a pass here and there when needed, even if he's not quite the smooth receiver that RJ Harvey is.

Tremendous Leader

That's the tangible side of what Dobbins brings to the table. The Broncos also value him at $8-10M/year, in part, because of his intangible traits.

Dobbins is not only a tremendous leader, but he brings a kind of intensity and confidence to the Broncos' offense that is contagious. The Broncos believe it really helped the offense hone that competitive resilience that we saw resolve itself in all those close games and come-from-behind wins.

As a leader, Dobbins takes ownership not only of his role and responsibilities but also of individual players on the roster as a mentor. Take a look at what he said about Harvey back in January when the Broncos were cleaning out their lockers after losing the AFC championship game.

“The whole year, RJ is my rookie, so I’ve been trying to give him feedback and all that stuff," Dobbins said on January 26. "I’m going to help him get better even if I’m not here. He’s my rookie forever. His name, I’m attached to him, and I want to make sure he gets better. So that’s my job, and I will.”

Is Dobbins Worth the Raise?

Now, as for the contract, Dobbins is getting a 4x raise over what he earned last year. Some will say that he's undeserving, simply because he's missed so much time.

It's a fair critique, as Dobbins has yet to play a full 17-game season since entering the league as a Baltimore Ravens second-round pick in 2020. But how many starting-caliber running backs play a full season without getting hurt and missing time?

The running back position comes with a high attrition rate for obvious reasons. The Broncos gave Dobbins that raise, not because of what he did in 2025, but because they expect him to be even better in 2026 and beyond.

At 27, Dobbins is still in his prime. He comes off like a 10-year veteran, but he's still young.

Given the opportunity to spend the entire offseason in the Broncos' top-shelf, cutting-edge player wellness/strength and conditioning program — which has helped reverse the franchise's fortunes since 2023 by keeping key players on the field — there's reason to hope that Dobbins will have a bit more success avoiding the injury bug.

The Broncos just can't count on it. That's why a good chunk of the total value of Dobbins's contract is tied to incentives. And while it's a two-year deal, it appears only the first year is fully guaranteed, which gives the Broncos an out after 2026 if he ends up being plagued again by injuries.

Dobbins was a top-five running back when healthy last season. On Monday, Kenneth Walker III (Kansas City Chiefs) and Travis Etienne (New Orleans Saints) were given contracts worth $14 million and $13 million per year, respectively, but neither came close to sniffing the NFL's top five in 2025.

Both Walker and Etienne eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards last season, but the former ranked 16th, while the latter ranked 11th in yards. The fact that they were able to finish the 2025 season for their former teams is the reason why they'll be making so much more than Dobbins in 2026.

Dobbins deserved a raise. The Broncos gave it to him, even offering the opportunity to earn $10M/year if he can stay on the field, and they're betting on finding a way to keep him healthy in 2026.

Bottom Line

Everyone will have their own grade for the Dobbins extension. Many will say that he was grossly overpaid.

I won't lie and act like I wasn't surprised by the size of the deal. But after digging into it and letting it sit for a minute, I fully understand why the Broncos stepped up to the plate and paid Dobbins the money they did.

Could the Broncos have signed Dobbins for less? Maybe, maybe not. There's a reason why he wasn't signed until Monday, and that's likely because they wanted him to test the market to see what outside teams were going to be willing to pay him.

After doing their due diligence, the Broncos came back with the two-year deal worth up to $20 million, even though it's essentially a $16 million contract. Without knowing exactly what other teams were offering Dobbins, I'm sure the Broncos acted in accordance with their value of the player and within reason.

As GM George Paton said at the NFL Combine, Dobbins was "a big hit around here." Considering the size of his contract and the fact that the Broncos didn't sign any of the tier-one free-agent running backs, it's safe to say that Dobbins made an enormously positive impression on the brass and his teammates at Dove Valley.

The Broncos needed to shore up the running back position, and they were much more comfortable doing that with Dobbins, a guy they know and and value, than an outside guy at the top of the spending market. I don't blame them.

But the Broncos can't be done. The Broncos need a plan B in the event that something happens to Dobbins, because as exciting as Harvey was as a rookie at times, he was one of the most inefficient ball-carriers in the NFL from a down-to-down basis.

Now, that additional running back could come from the free agent ranks. Or it could be the draft. This was just Day 1 of free agency, really, so there's plenty of time yet to add that last guy to the running back room.

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