The Denver Broncos running back JK Dobbins is on a mission this year. After re-signing with the Broncos, he wants to prove that last year's start was an accident.

Dobbins shared his confident take with NFL insider Luca Evans as reported on June 15.

“What I’m going to show is that last year wasn’t a fluke. Like, instead of being No. 3 in the NFL, I’ll be No. 1 this year,” Dobbins said, per Evans during his recent youth football camp. “And there won’t be any injuries.”

Dobbins put up 772 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games before a foot injury halted his progress last season.

The fact that Dobbins claims to Evans, as reported by Heavy, that he will be injury-free in 2026 is surprising.

Dobbins ranked third in rushing yards per game before his injury. Now he aims to surpass peers like Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry to claim the top spot.

Despite the fact that there is no question about Dobbins' quality, he has been injury-prone. The running back has so far not been able to play a full regular-season slate of games in his career.

Drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2020, he suffered a Grade 3 Thigh Hamstring tear in 2021 along with an ACL and LCL tear. In 2023, he suffered a pedal Achilles tear.

Dobbins' bold claim would be reassuring amidst RJ Harvey's recovery concerns.

Denver Broncos Backfield Depth Tested Amid Multiple Injury Issues

The Broncos are presently dealing with an injury concern. Their running back, Harvey, is slowly recuperating from a torn labrum in his shoulder, which he suffered in the AFC Championship Game. He had to undergo surgery.

Even though Harvey was spotted during Denver's OTAs, he hasn’t been very active.

The injury isn’t serious, and he should be ready for Week 1 barring complications. However, Harvey is coming off a rough rookie year. His absence in practice might also help Jonah Coleman build early-season momentum.

But he is a rookie and also coming in with knee problems. In that way, they are looking to find more out of their more experienced player in Dobbins.

Dobbins is an important contributor. The Broncos averaged 4.8 yards per carry with Dobbins healthy, and 3.8 yards per carry with him out. The current belief is that Denver is taking quite a risk with Dobbins.

Will Dobbins be able to keep himself at a safe distance from injuries this season? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Sourav Ganguly

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar