Running back J.K. Dobbins’ season appears to be over for the Denver Broncos, but head coach Sean Payton isn’t closing the book quite yet.
The Broncos rusher is out for a while future a Lisfranc injury in his foot. That bone is in the middle of the foot where the metatarsal bones meet the rest of the foot. He is expected to recover in time for the 2026 season; however, he will become an unrestricted free agent before then, as the Broncos signed him to a one-year contract in June. Though his time in Denver may not be over, not just for the future but this season.
Payton shared on Wednesday that he hopes to get Dobbins back later this year but “it won’t be soon.”
Even if it’s late in the playoff run, Dobbins would be a huge addition. The Broncos’ lead running back was fifth in rushing yardage across the NFL at the time of his injury. He had 772 yards through 10 games. Dobbins was expected to miss the rest of the season and is on injured reserve. He suffered the setback on what appeared to be a hip-drop tackle made on him by Las Vegas defensive lineman Tyree Wilson during the Broncos’ 10-7 win over the Raiders on Nov. 6.
It is yet another tough break for Dobbins in a career filled with them. He has yet to play all games in a single season and by the end of this campaign will have played in 47 of a possible 101 regular-season contests. It was this issue during his entire stint in Baltimore, where he missed 43 games, and carried over to last year in Los Angeles, where he missed four games — that made him available to the Broncos in the first place.
When healthy, Dobbins has been effective; he boasts a 5.2-yards-per-carry average for his career, including a 5.0-yards-per-rush pace this season. But for the fourth time in his six seasons, he will miss at least seven games.
The Brocnos have now mostly turned to the rookie, who has spelled Dobbins thus far, second-round pick RJ Harvey. He has caught 25 balls for 175 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for 214 yards and two scores on 50 attempts.
“Obviously, he’ll have more opportunities here in this game,” Sean Payton said of Harvey a few weeks ago. “He’s built to last, and that’s important.”
Payton will likely keep rotating running backs for as long as Dobbins is out, putting Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie into the team’s plans.
The coach also mentioned that he’s hopeful that linebacker Drew Sanders will return sometime this year for the Broncos, also saying it wouldn’t be soon.