J.K. Dobbins hasn’t found his rhythm yet in Denver, and he’s not sugarcoating it.
After four weeks, the Broncos running back has just 161 rushing yards, no touchdowns and a 3.5-yard average per carry. That’s a tough opening stretch for a player who has built his career on more efficient production.
“Right now, it’s a dark spot,” Dobbins said, via Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post. “That’s part of being in the NFL, though. I’m going to find a way to play to the standard that I play at.”
What makes the slow start stand out even more is Dobbins’ track record. Entering the 2026 season, he had averaged more than five yards per carry in his career. That level of production simply hasn’t shown up so far this year.
He did deal with a soft-tissue injury in training camp, but he made it clear he’s not leaning on that as the explanation.
“I’m healthy,” Dobbins continued. “I’m out there playing.
Any time - whether it’s fully healthy, not healthy, 75 percent, 60, 80, 90, 100, if I’m out there, I’ve got to play good, you know what I mean? No matter what’s going on, if I’m going out there, that means I think I can make plays.”
Dobbins has also been sharing work with Broncos teammate RJ Harvey. That arrangement hasn’t always been a problem for him - he found success while splitting time with Harvey last season.
Still, if the production doesn’t turn soon, the workload may shrink even further. His snap count could keep trending down unless he starts making a bigger impact.
Dobbins, a second-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2020 NFL Draft, has piled up 3,185 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns in his NFL career.
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