The Denver Broncos should look to enhance their running game in 2026, regardless of how this season turns out.
The Broncos found a terrific young running back in the 2025 NFL Draft in RJ Harvey, who is coming off a rookie season in which he found the end zone a total of 12 times. But Harvey is more of a change-of-pace runner who is best used as a weapon out of the backfield in the passing game. The Broncos need a guy who can carry more of the load, and an experienced veteran with youth still on his side should be considered.
That player could be J.K. Dobbins if the Broncos choose to re-sign him this offseason, but his injury history will be taken under serious consideration in any potential deal. A more attractive option could be to bring in one of the top names on next year's free-agent market, Travis Etienne.
Etienne is coming off perhaps his best year in the league in his first year in Liam Coen's offense, and the Jaguars will likely be keen on retaining him as he is the college teammate of quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
But if he chooses to sign elsewhere, Alex Kay of Bleacher Report sees the Broncos as a prime destination. Here was his analysis:
"The Denver Broncos may have cruised to a 14-3 record and earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC, but there's still work to be done in the Mile High City if this program wants to evolve into a perennial Super Bowl contender.
Denver's backfield has been one of the roster's weak points since Sean Payton took the reins in 2023. The team hasn't ranked above No. 16 in rushing in any of his three seasons, including this past year when the Broncos averaged a middling 118.7 yards per game on the ground.
Denver attempted to rectify the issue during the 2025 draft by utilizing a second-round pick on R.J. Harvey. The UCF product has had an up-and-down rookie campaign that began with him failing to beat out J.K. Dobbins. Harvey was only seeing sparse playing time until the injury-prone veteran went down with a foot injury.
While Harvey has occasionally flashed the playmaking abilities that drew the Broncos to him after taking over as the team's RB1—including scoring 12 touchdowns on the year—he's yet to go over 75 yards on the ground in a game and finished his rookie campaign with a concerning 3.7 yards per carry average.
Barring an outstanding playoff run, the Broncos will want to give serious credence to signing a complementary veteran to share the backfield with Harvey next year. The team has a Super Bowl window and can't afford to squander it with an ineffective ground game.
Etienne fits the bill as a relatively affordable, proven weapon who can shoulder a heavy workload while Harvey mixes in as a big-play threat. Although their individual ceilings would be lowered, a Harvey-Etienne platoon would have the ceiling to emerge as the league's leading rushing attack."
Though not all of that which was directed at Harvey is quite fair, the overall idea of adding a player such as Etienne next year makes perfect sense. Now, what would that cost?
According to Spotrac, Etienne can expect an annual salary of $6.8 million on his next contract. While that may sound expensive, it would be well worth it for a seasoned running back such as Etienne, who just turned 26 years old. In addition to being a tough, straight-ahead runner, Etienne can also be effective in the passing game.
For his career, Etienne has rushed for 3,798 yards while catching 168 passes for another 1,338 yards. He has 32 career touchdowns.
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The Jaguars drafted two running backs in this past year's draft — Bhayshul Tuten and LeQuint Allen — likely to help prepare for Etienne's potential departure this offseason, but the team will likely work to keep him. If he does decide to leave Duval County, the Broncos should take a serious interest.
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