The news keeps getting worse for Broncos running back JK Dobbins.
According to ESPN’s lead NFL insider, Adam Schefter, the Denver Broncos are placing running back JK Dobbins on the injured reserve due to a foot
injury that requires surgery. This will likely end his season, which will be a major blow to the Denver Broncos’ offense moving forward.
This sucks.
We knew he would miss this Sunday’s game vs. the Chiefs, but he avoided being placed on the IR all week, which seemed like good news. However, after multiple opinions, Dobbins will undergo surgery on a Lisfranc injury in his foot that will likely end his season.
He suffered this injury vs. the Raiders on Thursday Night Football last week on what he deemed an illegal hip-drop tackle. He limped off the field but would later return to the field and help the Broncos close out the game. He told reporters after the game that he was fine, but as we now know, he suffered a significant foot injury.
Before this injury, Dobbins was among the NFL leaders in rushing and was a key member of the Denver Broncos offense. His loss is a major blow to an offense that was already struggling to perform consistently this season and has a key matchup vs. the Chiefs on Sunday.
As we have talked about all week, the next man up will be rookie running back RJ Harvey, who figures to take on the lead back duties with Dobbins likely out for the year. This is a big opportunity for the explosive rookie, and the Broncos will need him to have a big second half of the year if they want to win the AFC West and be Super Bowl contenders. Look for Jaleel McLaughlin to be active and take on a key role in the offense as well, with Tyler Badie likely continuing his third-down role moving forward. The only other back they have on the roster is Deuce Vaughn, who is currently on the practice squad. It’ll be interesting to see if they add another back to the roster in the coming days.
Dobbins signed a one-year deal with the Broncos in the offseason, and both sides quickly fell in love with each other. On the field, Dobbins performed well and was a big part of the offense, and off the field and in the locker room, he has quickly become a popular teammate. ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes that the team did want Dobbins back for next season, so we’ll have to see if the two sides can come to an agreement this offseason.
This sucks for Dobbins, but it does give rookie RJ Harvey a huge opportunity to impress on a National Stage vs. the Chiefs. Hopefully, he can explode onto the scene and help the Broncos improve to 9-2 on the year and set the Chiefs back to a 5-5 record.
