ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) 鈥� is counting on his flexibility and faith to outrun his injury history.
The starting running back had a blown-out knee in Baltimore in 2021, a in 2023 and a broken foot last year in Denver. Yet, he’s pledging he’ll play all 17 games for the first time in his career and lead the league in rushing.
“A lot of people always get mad when I say the injuries are over, because I said it last year, but that one was pretty fluky,鈥� Dobbins said of the Lisfranc injury that ended his first season in Denver after 10 games. “This year there won鈥檛 be any, and there won鈥檛 be anything for anyone to say about my injuries because I鈥檓 going to play all 17 games … I can pinky promise all of you right now.鈥�
How can he be so sure that something fluky won’t happen again, given the inherent peril of his position?
鈥淪o, like, when I was younger, I could do the splits, right?鈥� Dobbins said. 鈥淚 think I lost a little bit of that flexibility. I just wasn鈥檛 paying attention to it as much. So now I鈥檓 back to that, and back to my college ways. And I did all the little things, and I鈥檓 doing all the little things that鈥檚 going to keep me, like 鈥� even if it鈥檚 some fluky stuff that鈥檚 about to happen 鈥� I鈥檓 going to be like Elasti-Boy, or Elasti-Girl, or something like that.
鈥淚鈥檒l be over there, bounce back up from it. Like, if I get hip-drop tackled, I can tuck my head to the back of my foot and I鈥檒l get back up.鈥�
That hip-drop tackle by former Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Tyree Wilson caught Dobbins’ left foot underneath him and ended his blistering 2025 season in which he rushed for 772 yards, fifth-most in the league at the time, and gave Denver an explosive threat in the backfield for the first time in the Sean Payton era.
Dobbins also cited his faith for his confidence that he’ll play every game this season, even though he hasn’t played in more than 13 games since his rookie year.
鈥淚 prayed on it,” he said. “The storm can鈥檛 last forever. I鈥檓 from Texas, born in Houston, and we get hurricanes, right? The storm can be long. It can be very dangerous. It can be dark for a long time. You don鈥檛 know when you鈥檙e going to get power. But they never last forever.鈥�
When healthy, Dobbins is one of the NFL’s most productive running backs on a per-touch basis. His 5.2-yard career average is the third-highest since his rookie year in 2020, trailing only Miami’s De’Von Achane (5.6) and Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs (5.3).
That, along with his magnetic locker room personality, led the Broncos to re-sign Dobbins to a two-year, $8 million deal last spring that could balloon to $20 million with incentives.
鈥淗e was a big part of why we won 14 games last year,鈥� Payton said. 鈥淪ometimes that can get lost. The narrative is certainly that he鈥檚 been injured, and yet what we were able to do when he was healthy had a lot to do with where we ended up.”
Dobbins noted that all his major injuries 鈥� an ACL and MCL tear in 2021, an Achilles tear in 2023 and last year’s Lisfranc 鈥� all were on his left leg. He suggested whoever’s poking needles into his voodoo doll has run out of spots to jab.
鈥淚 keep saying it, and people think I鈥檓 crazy, but I鈥檓 going to be No. 1 (in rushing), and I鈥檓 going to keep it there for the whole year,鈥� Dobbins said.
Teammate Alex Singleton figures Dobbins is in for a big year in 2026 given his history of comebacks.
鈥淭o do what he鈥檚 been able to do coming off injuries, I know people want to knock him for the injuries, but I would say it鈥檚 almost the opposite. His ability to recover is also crazy because every time, he鈥檚 come back stronger than he was before,” Singleton said. “That鈥檚 what he鈥檚 expecting and that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e expecting.鈥�
Dobbins said he keeps on going because he’s been blessed with a dogged determination.
鈥淚 never really care about it because I鈥檓 going to come back, and I鈥檓 going to be better,” he said. “I鈥檓 going to keep doing it. Whatever life throws at you, you can鈥檛 give up, right? It鈥檚 a thing that I learned for the long-haul, not just football. You get knocked down. Just keep getting back up.鈥�
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