Broncos must take an honest look at backfield after AFC Championship Game loss to Patriots

Expecting Denver Broncos backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham to pull off an upset in the AFC Championship Game was unrealistic, especially with a run game that offered little support.

The Broncos lost to the New England Patriots, 10-7, in the conference championship game on Sunday. Stidham — who replaced an injured Bo Nix (broken right ankle) — finished 17-of-31 passing for 133 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The QB also lost one fumble. 

A run game that kept spinning its wheels compounded the Broncos' offensive problems. Broncos rookie running back RJ Harvey led Denver in rushing Sunday (37 yards on 13 carries). The team averaged 3.3 yards per carry (79 yards on 24 carries), well below the league average (4.4 yards per carry, per Pro Football Reference). 

Sunday's weather certainly impacted the Broncos run game. In the second half, heavy snow began to fall, limiting visibility and making the field much more slippery. That said, Denver's backfield has been one of its biggest weaknesses throughout the season. And it's an issue the team must address to make it to the Super Bowl next season.

How do Broncos improve backfield? 

This offseason, the Broncos signed sixth-year RB J.K. Dobbins to a one-year, $2.065M deal in free agency and took former Central Florida Knights star Harvey with pick No. 60 in the NFL Draft. They should've invested more at RB. 

Dobbins started hot, rushing for 772 yards in 10 games, but suffered a left foot injury in a 10-7 Week 10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders and missed the rest of the season. The Broncos then turned to Harvey, but the 5-foot-8, 205-pound back looks more like a gadget guy, not a true RB1. 

During the regular season, Harvey averaged a subpar 3.7 yards per carry (540 yards). That figure dropped to three yards per carry in the playoffs (57 yards on 19 carries). 

Nix hid the run-game problems in 2025. The mobile passer ranked third on the team in rushing yards (356 on 83 carries) during the regular season. But doctors may advise him to run less next season to avoid another injury. The QB reportedly needs 12 weeks to recover after undergoing surgery.  

The Broncos could re-sign Dobbins in free agency, but given the foot issue, they may pursue other RBs. New York Jets RB Breece Hall (1,065 rushing yards, No. 15 in the NFL) and Carolina Panthers RB Rico Dowdle (1,076 yards, No. 14 in the NFL) are free agents this offseason.

Denver could target a RB in the 2026 NFL Draft if it feels the asking prices of free agents are too high, perhaps Emmett Johnson (Nebraska Cornhuskers). He ran for 1,451 yards on 251 carries in 2025.

Regardless, the Broncos can't ignore their RB room this offseason. The lack of depth at the position often forced them to rely too heavily on their QBs in 2025, one reason they fell one game short of the Super Bowl.