RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos
Getty
RJ Harvey #12 of the Denver Broncos carries the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton did not mince words, and his remarks effectively put the entire running back room on notice.
Payton mentioned RJ Harvey by name, but his comments reflect on the entire group, from starter J.K. Dobbins to reserves Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie, as the 2026 draft continues to get closer.
Denver sits primed to address the issue further.
Sean Payton Puts RB Room on Notice
RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos
GettyRJ Harvey #12 of the Denver Broncos celebrates after a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Payton spoke with reporters at the annual owners meeting in Arizona, and he addressed the Broncos’ desire to improve their running game for the 2026 season. Notably, each of Badie, Dobbins, Harvey, and McLaughlin was with the Broncos this past season.
That has raised questions about whether the Broncos will seek additional help at the position in the 2026 draft.
Payton left the door wide open for a rookie to join the fray in April.
“That could be a position that gets addressed if the opportunity presents itself,” Payton told reporters on March 31. “Look, we love the way RJ played. And we ran it more consistently earlier in the year than we did later in the year. I don’t like how we rushed it in the postseason. It’s one way to take pressure off your quarterback, and I think that’ll be a focus.”
The Broncos selected Harvey 60th overall in the 2025 draft. He rushed for 540 yards and 7 touchdowns on 146 carries. He posted a 96-326-5 line in his six starts after Dobbins was lost for the season to a foot injury.
Payton alluded to the Broncos’ early season, when Dobbins’ contributions had them among the top-10 running games in the league, but also a preparedness to hedge against his injury history.
Notably, Broncos general manager George Paton expressed faith in the Broncos’ backs.
The Broncos have been linked to veteran backs on the free agent and trade markets this offseason. They also re-signed Dobbins to a two-year contract, but one that they can get out of after the first season with minimal dead money.
RJ Harvey Compared to Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
GettyFormer USC running back Reggie Bush attends the USC game against Utah.
Harvey embraced comparisons to some of Payton’s former backs from his time with the New Orleans Saints, including Alvin Kamara.
However, Harvey’s skill set more closely aligns with another ex-Saints star: Reggie Bush.
“Harvey sort of plays the Reggie Bush role for the Broncos the way he did for Sean Payton,” KOA’s Benjamin Allbright posted on X in response to a fan following his initial report that Denver could look to retain Dobbins and add a draft pick.
“He’s just not a very natural between the tackles runner yet, which is kind of expected. He’s only been a RB a few years was a HS and college QB before that.”
Harvey had 356 yards and 5 TDs on 47 receptions this past season.
Kamara has never surpassed the 1,000-yard mark as a runner. He has tallied more than 790 yards in six of his nine seasons, though. Bush notably amassed 1,000-plus rushing yards on two occasions, neither time with New Orleans, and had another campaign with 986 yards.
Bush had fewer than 600 rushing yards in all eight of his other seasons, while also battling durability issues.
The Broncos hope they can coax some of Bush and Kamara out of Harvey.