Three Running Backs the Broncos Should Target in 2026 NFL Free Agency
The Denver Broncos learned the hard way in 2025 that it’s tough to win in January or February without a reliable ground game. Their rushing attack unraveled the moment J.K. Dobbins went down with a season-ending Lisfranc injury in Week 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders. From that point forward, the offense became increasingly one-dimensional heading into the postseason.
This was fully exposed in the Divisional Round against the Buffalo Bills, when Denver was forced into a pass-heavy script. Without a dependable RB1, Bo Nix was also forced to lead the team in rushing – a reality that culminated in disaster when he suffered a season-ending broken ankle on a designed run during the game-winning drive in overtime.
The problem only worsened the following week, when the Broncos desperately needed stability on the ground. In the 2025 AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots, Denver simply couldn’t run the ball when the moment demanded it most, leaving backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham to shoulder the offense – a burden that predictably proved too heavy.
Once the snow started falling and the Broncos trailed 10-7, the outcome felt inevitable, as Stidham wasn’t going to win the game with his arm in those conditions. RJ Harvey managed just 37 rushing yards on a putrid 2.8 yards per carry in Denver’s 10-7 loss to the Patriots – production that isn’t going to beat elite teams when weather and physicality take over. Postseason football demands balance, and Denver’s inability to effectively establish the run game ultimately proved to be fatal in the 2025 AFC Championship Game.
If the Broncos want to take the next step from contender to champion, finding a true RB1 this offseason isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity. While some may argue for a team-friendly reunion with Dobbins, a pending free agent, his jarring injury history makes that a gamble Denver can’t afford to take. If 2025 showed anything, it’s that building a postseason run around availability risks at running back is a dangerous bet.
With that in mind, here are three running backs the Broncos should pursue in free agency to solve this problem:
3. Rico Dowdle
Rico Dowdle enters free agency as one of the league’s most quietly productive running backs, coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with two different teams. In 2025 with the Carolina Panthers, he showed exactly how dangerous he can be when given RB1 volume.
Dowdle erupted for 206 rushing yards and a touchdown in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins, averaging an eye-popping nine yards per carry. The following week, he piled up 239 yards from scrimmage and added a receiving touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys. In Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers, Dowdle almost single-handedly willed the Panthers to victory, rushing for 130 yards and two scores on 25 carries.
He’s also proven he can function as a power component in a two-running back system – something that makes him an ideal stylistic fit alongside Harvey in Denver. Harvey brings value in the passing game, but struggles with efficiency between the tackles. Dowdle’s downhill running style would offset that weakness.
Perhaps just as importantly, Dowdle likely won’t command an overwhelming price tag despite his recent production. That makes him a realistic and cost-effective solution for a Broncos team that must balance roster-building priorities.
2. Travis Etienne Jr.
Fresh off his third 1,000-yard season in four years, Travis Etienne Jr. represents a more dynamic option. It’s also worth noting that Etienne has remained consistently available in recent years, appearing in at least 15 games in each of the past four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
He delivered a monster performance against Carolina in Week 1 of the 2025 campaign, scampering for 143 yards while averaging 8.9 yards per attempt. In Week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers, Etienne tallied 124 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. And in Week 15 against the New York Jets, he reminded everyone of his game-breaking receiving ability by hauling in three passes for 73 yards and three touchdowns.
Etienne’s versatility would give Denver something it sorely lacked late in the 2025 campaign: explosiveness without sacrificing balance. He can threaten defenses on early downs while also functioning as a high-impact pass catcher – a combination that could help the Broncos’ offense reach new heights.
Rather than forcing the offense into predictable passing situations, Etienne would allow Denver to dictate tempo and maintain offensive balance deep into games. This would give opposing defensive coordinators nightmares.
1. Kenneth Walker III
If the Broncos wants a true bell-cow running back capable of carrying their offense when it matters most, Kenneth Walker III stands above the rest. Walker is coming off a 1,000-yard season despite splitting carries for much of the year. But his defining stretch came in the 2025 postseason.
After the Seattle Seahawks lost backup running back Zach Charbonnet to a season-ending torn ACL in the Divisional Round against the 49ers, Walker took control of the rushing attack and delivered emphatically. He rushed for 116 yards and three touchdowns in that contest, then followed it up with 111 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in the 2025 NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams.
On the biggest stage, he was even better. In Super Bowl LX against New England, Walker totaled 161 yards from scrimmage and earned the game’s MVP honors. Across the entire postseason, he racked up 313 rushing yards and four touchdowns in just three games as the featured running back.
His blend of power and speed would immediately elevate Denver’s offense, while his ability to handle a full workload makes him exactly the type of running back the Broncos lacked when injuries struck in 2025. Walker doesn’t just complement Harvey – he gives Denver a running back who can carry the offense in January and February.
The Bottom Line
The Broncos don’t need another committee piece – they need a difference-maker. Whether it’s Dowdle’s explosive ceiling, Etienne’s versatility, or Walker’s ability to take over in do-or-die games, Denver must enter 2026 with a clear plan to secure a running back who can stabilize the offense when the stakes rise – without the pattern of persistent injury setbacks that could undermine the Broncos in their pursuit of another deep playoff run.
Because if 2025 proved anything, it’s that a championship run requires more than a quarterback – it requires a running game that can finish the job. And in today’s NFL, waiting for that solution to develop internally is a risk contenders can’t afford to take.
