The Denver Broncos' veteran presence in the backfield, J.K. Dobbins, has suffered a season-ending injury, a devastating blow to a run game that had been highly effective through the first half of the 2025 campaign.
Dobbins, who was brought in to be the lead back, has been placed on injured reserve due to a significant ligament issue in his foot that will require surgery. Through 10 games, he leads Denver with 772 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 153 carries and was on pace for his first 1,000-yard season.
In his absence, the Broncos will rely on a committee approach, with rookie running back R.J. Harvey getting the majority of the touches. After Harvey, Denver will turn to two backs who have a combined three carries on the season.
Here's what to know about Sean Payton's backfield depth chart moving forward.
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Broncos RB depth chart
| Position | Player |
| 1 | R.J. Harvey |
| 2 | Jaleel McLaughlin |
| 3 | Tyler Badie |
1. R.J. Harvey
The rookie second-round pick is expected to step into the RB1 role. Harvey, who has demonstrated his versatility as both a runner and a pass-catcher this season, will need to shoulder the bulk of the carries, starting with a crucial AFC West matchup this week.
Through the first 10 weeks of the season, Harvey has showcased his dual-threat capability, recording 50 carries for 214 yards and two rushing touchdowns, along with 25 receptions for 175 yards and four receiving touchdowns.
I’m so curious to see what a heavy RJ Harvey game is going to look like for the Broncos offense. Pic.twitter.com/rwkSOV2JJs
— Strez (@Its_Strez) November 13, 2025
His 6 total touchdowns place him among the top rookie running backs in the league.
2. Jaleel McLaughlin
With Dobbins out for the year, McLaughlin steps into an elevated role in the Denver Broncos' backfield rotation for the remainder of the 2025 season. He is expected to be the primary change-of-pace back alongside rookie Harvey.
McLaughlin has been a healthy scratch for all but one game this season. In 2024, however, he was productive, totaling 113 carries for 496 yards (4.4 yards per carry) and adding 24 receptions for 76 yards.
3. Tyler Badie
Badie has only two carries through 10 games, with most of his touches coming in the receiving game. The young running back has 10 receptions for 87 yards, and one can expect his production to significantly increase with Dobbins out.
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What happened to J.K. Dobbins?
Dobbins has suffered a season-ending foot injury and has been placed on injured reserve by the Broncos.
He sustained a significant ligament issue in his foot, reported as a Lisfranc injury (a sprain or fracture to the midfoot area). The injury will require surgery, a critical loss for an 8-2 Broncos team. Dobbins sustained the injury during the Week 10 Thursday night win against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Dobbins was having one of the best seasons of his career before the injury, compiling 772 rushing yards through 10 games. His absence is a major blow to the Broncos' running game, which will now rely on a committee led by Harvey and veteran McLaughlin.
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J.K. Dobbins injury updates
On Saturday afternoon, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Dobbins will have season-ending foot surgery.
Broncos RB JK Dobbins to have season-ending foot surgery. (Via @rapsheet, @tompelissero) pic.twitter.com/uceJMKRNL1
— NFL (@NFL) November 15, 2025
This is the fifth time in six seasons that the promising back lands on the injured reserve. Dobbins' latest setback comes after previous campaigns derailed by a torn ACL (2021), a separate knee procedure (2022), and a torn Achilles tendon (2023).
J.K. Dobbins season stats
Dobbins had 772 rushing yards and four touchdowns through 10 games this season. He currently is fifth in the NFL in rushing yards and was on pace to break his career-high 907 from a year ago, when he was with the Chargers.
Now, he lands on the injured reserve once again, a brutal end to a second-straight big season.
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