The Denver Broncos know what they have in J.K. Dobbins, both the good and bad, i.e., his production and his injury history. Now, though, Dobbins has vowed to do something that he not only failed to do last year, but that he has never done in his career.
Dobbins had the Broncos’ running game humming over the first 10 weeks of the 2025 regular season. But just like every other season of his career, Dobbins’ hot start gave way to an injury.
Heading into 2026, though, Dobbins insists that he has put that all behind him.
Broncos’ J.K. Dobbins Makes Bold Claims
GettyJ.K. Dobbins is heading into a critical season with the Denver Broncos.
Dobbins has never played in more than 15 games during a single regular season in his career, which began as a second-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2020.
Asked how he keeps returning from significant leg injuries, Dobbins first cited his faith.
“First is the Lord Jesus Christ. He blessed me with some type of stuff inside of me that I can’t stop. I just can’t stop. I can’t lose. Right. And then, it’s just I don’t want to let myself down, either. So, yeah, I’ve had the three big injuries: the knee first, which took like a couple of surgeries to clean up and get back to myself. Had the Achilles. And then, I had the foot last year, but I never really cared about it,” Dobbins told reporters on July 31.
“I’m going to come back, and I’m going to be better, and I’m going to keep doing it. Whatever life throws at you, you can’t give up, right? It’s a thing that I learned for the long haul; not just football. But you’re knocked down, just keep getting back up until I go home to the Lord, Jesus Christ. So–but yeah, I’m going to come back, and I’m going to be better this year.”
Dobbins said it “hurt” not being able to return for the Broncos last season, calling the organization “amazing” and that he was “born to be a Bronco.”
He is eager to prove that his production is real and his injury history is not.
“A lot of people always say, ‘Oh, he’s good for the first 10 weeks.’ I’ll be in the top three for the first 10 weeks, right? And they’ll be like, ‘Oh, dude, he does this every time.’ Well, this year, forget a top three. I keep saying it. People think I’m crazy, but I’m going to be No. 1. And I’m going to keep it there for the whole year, 17 games. A lot of people always get mad when I say, ‘Yeah, the injuries are over,’ because I said it last year. But yeah, that one was pretty fluky.
“This year, there won’t be any, and there won’t be anything for anyone to say about my injuries because I’m going to play all 17 games, and I’m going to give my team everything I got for all 17 games, and I will be there for all 17 games. I’ll pinky promise all of you right now about that.”
J.K. Dobbins Credits Urban Meyer for Perspective
GettyJ.K. Dobbins cited his former HC at Ohio State, Urban Meyer.
Dobbins compared his Lisfranc injury, which required surgery that ended his regular season, to “rest,” downplaying the severity while acknowledging every injury presents different challenges.
He said his ruptured Achilles tendon was like a sprain, but his severe knee injury was “a beast.”
“Something in me, I just cannot lose,” Dobbins said of his resolve. “I can’t let myself down. Until I just can’t go anymore, you’ll see me. If I was to get an injury, you’re going to see me the next time, and I’m going to be better because I’m like, ‘Man, after that, I’m coming back.’ I need this; I need it. I want it so bad that I, I just–I don’t know how to quit, I just don’t.”
“There’s life situations that . . . translate football to life. And that’s what my, my college coach, Urban Meyer, would always say: I’m not just teaching you football, I’m teaching you about life. You will use these things in real life. Right. So, yeah, man. Hopefully I’m an inspiration to people who–not athletes, but real-life people. Hopefully they look at me like, ‘Man, this dude. No matter what, he’s going to come back.”
Dobbins continued, “You get fired from a job, or you got a death that really hurt you? Well, we got to keep going.
“We got to keep going. We got to. Those who believe in the Lord, stay prayed up. And whatever you believe in–I know people got different things–so, just keep going. That’s what I’m going to always do until I can’t. Until I just physically can’t. But I think I’m blessed to where I can just go until I’m 40, for real.”
J.K. Dobbins Doubles Down on Pinky Promise
GettyJ.K. Dobbins is confident that his injury woes are behind him.
Dobbins doubled down on his claims, which indeed rivaled his remarks from last season, insisting that he has taken the proper precautions to address his injury issues. He also rehashed his grievance with what he called an illegal hip-drop tackle that injured him in Week 10.
“When I was younger, I could do the splits, right? I think I lost a little bit of that flexibility. I just wasn’t paying attention to it as much. So, now I’m back to that and back to my college weight. And I did all the little things, and I’m doing all the little things that’s going to keep me–even if it’s some fluky stuff about to happen, I’m going to be like Elastiboy, or Elastigirl or something,” Dobbins said.
“I’ll be able to bounce back up from it. Like if I get hip-drop tackled, I can touch my head and back of my foot, and I get back up.”
Asked how he can be so certain, Dobbins went back to his faith and an anecdote about Texas.
“I prayed on it. I prayed on it, and the storm can’t last forever. I’m from Texas. Born in Houston, Texas. We get hurricanes,” Dobbins said. “A storm can be long. It could be very dangerous. It could be dark for a long time. You don’t know when you’re going to get power. You don’t know when the next thing is.
“But they never last forever. And … I talked to somebody that says, ‘Things come in threes,’ right? So, all on my left leg. I’ve had the knee, the Achilles, and the foot. It’s over. Whoever has my doll, on the left side, they’re done. It’s just done.
Dobbins then reiterated his promise and vowed to buy the Broncos media a drink if he gets hurt.
J.K. Dobbins Looking to Defy History With Broncos