Sean Payton didn’t hold back Thursday when asked about J.K. Dobbins and what the veteran running back brings to the Denver Broncos’ backfield in 2026.
“He’s one of those compound multipliers,” Payton said. “There’s so much that he brings.”
The Broncos re-signed Dobbins to a two-year deal this offseason after he emerged as one of the team’s most impactful additions a year ago. Before suffering a Lisfranc injury against the Las Vegas Raiders that ended his season, Dobbins racked up 772 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 5.0 yards per carry in just 10 games. He also served as a steady veteran in the locker room for rookie R.J. Harvey.
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Payton acknowledged the durability concerns that have followed Dobbins throughout his career — he’s landed on injured reserve in each of the last five seasons — but said the reality of an expanding NFL calendar is something every back has to navigate.
“If you just take backs around the league and you understand the length… the season is not getting any shorter, it’s getting longer,” Payton said. “He was a big part of our success a year ago. I think certainly where we’re at with that running back room today, we feel like is further along than maybe when we first got here.”
When healthy, Dobbins has been one of the league’s most efficient backs, averaging 5.2 yards per carry across his career — third among NFL running backs with at least 300 attempts in the span he was active for.
Dobbins was the team’s top priority at the position once free agency opened, with Payton telling reporters just that at the NFL Annual Meeting in March. On Thursday, the head coach offered another glimpse into why.
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“You usually hear him before you see him in there,” Payton said. “He’s a tremendous teammate, and yes, I’m glad he’s with us.”
Behind Dobbins is Harvey, the second-year back and 2025 second-round pick who showed promise as a rookie before being asked to carry an even heavier load down the stretch following Dobbins’ injury.
“That rookie year is one of the years that there’s a lot of learning, and for R.J. to have the success that he did so early,” Courtland Sutton said. “You add on that year of experience, and then you add on this offseason into his arsenal.”
The Broncos kept the rest of the room intact this offseason, re-signing Jaleel McLaughlin and Tyler Badie, and they added rookie Jonah Coleman out of Washington. Payton said Coleman impressed during rookie minicamp.
“He had a good rookie camp. He’s put together well,” Payton said. “There are some positions I think that are a little bit more difficult to evaluate. Ultimately with him as a runner, they have to tackle you, but he’s all football.”
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The depth in the backfield was a major factor in Denver’s offensive identity a year ago, for better and worse. With Dobbins, Harvey, McLaughlin, Badie and Coleman in the fold, Payton believes the Broncos have built a room capable of handling the load of a long NFL season — and one that could play a major role in how far Denver goes in 2026.