J.K. Dobbins is one of the National Football League's unluckier players. Despite his considerable and obvious talent, the running back has dealt with myriad injuries over the years, which have forced him to take prove-it deals in free agency without much in the way of security. Unfortunately, Dobbins will once again face another road to recovery—this time toward the 2026 campaign.
ESPN reporter Adam Schefter has word that the Broncos have lost Dobbins for the rest of the season. After suffering a foot injury, Dobbins will have surgery and will be lost for the rest of the playoff chase, a brutal blow for an offensively limited team that relies on the ground game and a stout defense to put opponents away.
The Broncos learned of Dobbins' injury on the eve of the biggest divisional game of the season. The Kansas City Chiefs are set to visit Mile High on Sunday for the first of two scheduled games, and while the Chiefs are two games behind at present in third place in the AFC West, they're also the defending champs—nine times over.
The Denver Broncos offense took a major hit the day before facing the Kansas City Chiefs in a divisional showdown.
The chance to put the Chiefs away, at least in the divisional chase, is a major opportunity for the Broncos, knowing it's been a decade since any other team has won the AFC West. However, without Dobbins on the offensive end and with Pat Surtain ailing—the NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year—the job is much harder, even at home.
The good news for the Broncos' offense is that the cupboards are not empty behind Dobbins. Denver invested a high-round pick in R.J. Harvey in this year's NFL Draft, and he's scored 5 touchdowns in the last 4 games. Beyond Harvey, the Broncos also have Tyler Badie and Jaleel McLaughlin.
Dobbins, however, has been the lead back in Denver for an 8-2 team, with an average of 77 yards/game. Overall, Dobbins has 153 carries for 772 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground—fifth in the NFL in rushing yards. Harvey's inexperience gives Denver far less security for an average offense that's going to be tasked with keeping up with Patrick Mahomes and company.
A torn ACL robbed Dobbins of his entire second season in the NFL in 2021, and a knee injury cost him half the season in '22. A torn Achilles forced him to miss all but one game in 2023, and he missed another full month in 2024 on IR as well. Going into another round of free agency, teams will once again view Dobbins as a talented but unreliable back hoping to prove he can stay healthy for once.