The Denver Broncos came one game short of getting running back J.K. Dobbins back on the field this season. Had they defeated the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, it’s almost a certainty Dobbins would have suited up for Super Bowl LX.
Alas, the Broncos lost a game where they really could have used an effective running back, and Dobbins may have played his last game with the Broncos as he was only there on a 1-year, $2.065 million contract.
That he’s gone after one year won’t be the worse thing. Dobbins missed the final 7 games of the season due to a foot injury.
That outcome ended up being pretty on brand for a player who has missed 54 regular-season games over the first 6 seasons of his career and played just 9 games in a 3-year stretch from 2021 to 2023.
Not bringing back Dobbins could open the Broncos up to making a trade for a truly elite — and durable — running back in former Sean Payton protege and New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara.
Bleacher Report called Denver the “Top Landing Spot” for Kamara in exchange for a 2026 sixth round pick and a conditional 2027 seventh round pick.
Financial Hurdle in Bringing Kamara to Denver
The cost for Kamara — the 2 draft picks — shouldn’t be a sticking point but it’s likely Payton and general manager George Paton would want to figure out a way to re-work some part of the $18.6 million Kamara is due in 2026 — especially since he’s about to turn 31 years old and missed the last 6 games of the 2025 season with a sprained MCL.
Kamara has approximately $67.4 million in career earnings through the end of the 2025 season.
“Given Kamara’s age and price point, New Orleans can’t expect to get more than a conditional late-round pick in return,” Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox wrote. “However, they may not need to go far to find a trade partner. The Denver Broncos may need a back to pair with RJ Harvey, as J.K. Dobbins is slated to be a free agent. Kamara, of course, spent a good chunk of his career under former Saints and current Broncos head coach Sean Payton.”
What Kamara Could Bring to the Table
When healthy, Kamara can still be a game changer.
That’s something the Broncos have sorely been missing throughout Payton’s first 3 seasons, save for the 10 games Dobbins played in 2025, when he was on pace to become Denver’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2019.
Dobbins, it’s worth pointing out, should have his own options in free agency if he wants to go elsewhere, although he’s already expressed a desire to stay in Denver.
Even with his 2025 season factored into the mix — where he had career lows almost across the board — Kamara still has 17-game averages of 1,646 yards of total offense and 12 total touchdowns over his 9-year career.
Bringing Kamara in for the final year of his contract to play for the coach with which he had the most success seems like a risk the Broncos should be willing to take.
In 5 seasons playing for Payton, Kamara was a 2-time NFL All-Pro, 5-time Pro Bowler and earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2017.
Broncos Urged to Replace Injury Prone RB With $67 Million NFL All-Pro