Last season, J.K. Dobbins and the Denver Broncos lost their first matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, his former team. The Broncos won the second meeting, but Dobbins was injured and did not play.
He played on Sunday and reveled in the victory afterward.
“Damn… guess I was CHARGED UP today [peeking and lightning bolt emojis],” Dobbins posted on X on October 11.
“J.K. Dobbins ran around SoFi waving goodbye at Chargers fans after the #broncos win,” The Denver Post’s Sam Jane posted on X.
Broncos’ J.K. Dobbins Gets Most Important Stat
Dobbins did not have the most efficient day, finishing with 68 yards on 18 carries, a 3.8-yards-per-carry average, and fans reminded him of that in the comments. Nevertheless, he scored a touchdown.
Dobbins will likely trade individual numbers for team wins every time.
That is particularly true for a division rival and a team he used to play for. The Chargers also notably used the seldom-used unrestricted free agent tender on Dobbins in free agency in 2025.
All it did was delay his signing with the Broncos, something Dobbins and head coach Sean Payton hinted at in the months that followed. Dobbins spent one season with the Chargers, in 2024, beginning his career as a second-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2020.
On the season, Dobbins now has a 3.6-YPC mark, but the Broncos are 3-2.
More importantly, Denver is now 2-0 in the AFC West, and saw the second-place Las Vegas Raiders lose to the New England Patriots in Week 5.
J.K. Dobbins Gets Honest After Broncos Win
Dobbins workload in the game is as noteworthy as his production with it, and it could portend to what is to come for the veteran.
“Coach Sean Payton knows me well,” Dobbins said postgame. “He knows me very well. He knows me well and I know him well. You can see the chemistry between us and the team, the offense. So that’s what was different. I just got the opportunities.”
Jk Dobbins after the #Broncos win.
The Broncos ranked 29th on the ground coming into the game.
They will undoubtedly need to be better to accomplish the goals they have set for themselves this season. What they got was good enough to get a much-needed victory, and they can now turn their attention to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 6.
Broncos ‘Gotta Make Our Plays’
The Broncos are still trying to find their desired level on both sides of the ball, something that injuries have complicated five weeks into the 2026 regular season.
Dobbins believes that is coming for the Broncos soon enough, though.
“We just gotta make our plays. It’s ebbs and flows in the NFL,” Dobbins said when asked directly about needing to improve offensively. “They got a good defense. We gotta make our plays when our number’s called, and we’ll get there.”
The Broncos are now 12-4 in games that Dobbins plays. They went 6-1 without him in 2025, but that was with the passing game doing the bulk of the lifting offensively and a stellar defense.
This season–again, especially with the injuries–has presented a different challenge.
J.K. Dobbins Throws Shade After Denver Broncos Defeat Los Angeles Chargers