Denver Broncos HC Sean Payton gave some massive praise to running back J.K. Dobbins recently. This high praise caught the eye of Michigan run game coordinator Tony Alford.

Alford coached Dobbins back at Ohio State and remains incredibly impressed by how much faith Denver is putting into the RB.

"He(Dobbins) is someone who is one of those compound multipliers, like he brings 10 others along with him in a positive light," Sean Payton said about the RB as per Sean Keeler of The Denver Post.

The bond between Alford and Dobbins is special, to say the least. When Dobbins was weighing free-agency offers in early March 2026, it was Alford to whom he turned.

The running back called him up at three in the morning to get his advice before picking between Denver and another AFC contender.

"This guy, from the minute that he walked into our building, changed it. So it’s like, we didn’t want to let him leave," General Manager George Paton revealed. "He meant too much to the building."

The RB clearly prioritizes its culture fit. Hearing this made Alford incredibly happy. He explained Dobbins' moves with a chip on his shoulder, and he wants to prove the people who believed in him completely right.

"It brings a lot of joy to my heart to hear that they need him and they want him," Alford told Sean Keeler on the phone.

Dobbins anchored Denver's ground game in 2025 by racking up 772 rushing yards and four TDs on 153 carries.

Averaging 5.0 yards per carry across 10 games, he still led the entire team in rushing despite missing the final seven matchups. Denver went 8-2 in games where Dobbins got game time.

High Risk, $16 Million Reward: J.K. Dobbins’ Journey in Denver so Far

Dobbins' dominant season abruptly ended on November 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders when he suffered a severe Lisfranc foot injury.

Despite his tough injury history, Denver handed the 27-year-old a two-year, $16 million contract with $8 million guaranteed in March 2026.

"He looks like a million bucks. Or, I should say, 16 million bucks." Alford said.

To show his total commitment, Dobbins skipped warm-weather training states like Texas or California. Instead, he stayed right in Colorado all offseason to work through his rehab program.

Will Payton's massive show of faith in J.K. Dobbins pay off for the Broncos' offense?

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Written by

Nisarga Aseem Barkule

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote