Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins has spent his career haunted by leg injuries that have held him out of action and threatened his NFL career. In 2024, he returned to the field with a fervor for 11 games before an MCL sprain cost him four games. His 2025 season followed a similar path. After taking the starting job in Denver, Dobbins played well through the first 10 weeks. On Thursday Night Football, though, he was injured on a hip-drop tackle.
Despite finishing the game, Dobbins sustained a foot injury in the win, and his short-term future is uncertain.
Will J.K. Dobbins Play in Week 11?
Dobbins’ foot injury could keep him out of the third quarter of the season, much like his 2024 ailment. In the days since the Broncos’ 10-7 win, it has become possible that Dobbins spends the next few weeks on injured reserve.
The Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson reported that the team is currently considering the option. Doing so would open up a roster spot, potentially for another running back.
“Broncos I’m told are considering what to do with running back J.K. Dobbins and his foot injury,” Tomasson reported. “I was told placing him on injured reserve is being considered.”
Dobbins did not practice this week, and placing him on injured reserve would keep him off the field for at least four games, meaning the earliest he could return is Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Denver has a bye in Week 12, interrupting a stretch of games against the Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders, and Green Bay Packers.
Ahead of Week 11, NFL insider Ian Rapoport provided another update on Dobbins. “Broncos RB JK Dobbins will be out on Sunday vs the Chiefs with a significant foot injury and is believed to be out for the foreseeable future, per me and Tom Pelissero,” he wrote on X. “Dobbins is still working through options, and while there’s no final determination, IR remains a possibility.”
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The Broncos are 8-2 with Dobbins in the backfield. He has played well, ranking 14th in PFSN’s Running Back Impact metric. His 153 attempts and 772 yards both rank fifth among backs this season; his four rushing touchdowns rank 16th.
His absence opens the door for rookie RJ Harvey to make a bigger impact. He has rushed 50 times for 214 yards thus far while making an impact as a receiver, catching 25 of 29 targets for 175 yards and four scores. Harvey generated hype as a pass-catcher in head coach Sean Payton’s scheme, a role that has featured Alvin Kamara, Darren Sproles, and Reggie Bush with the New Orleans Saints.
Harvey could run with the starting job, but Dobbins’ consistency would be welcome in January, where Denver will hope to play keep away from the conference’s best quarterbacks.
Dobbins expressed his frustration on social media, encouraging the NFL to ban the kind of tackle that may cut another season short. The Broncos will hope that a stint on injured reserve doesn’t end his 2025 campaign.
Denver Broncos’ Insights for Week 11
Team: Denver heads to a bye on Week 11 before heading to the road for games in Washington and Las Vegas.
QB: Bo Nix’s 70.8 (C-) QBi score in Week 10 against the Raiders was his 25th out of 28 games, including the postseason.
Offense: The Broncos have committed four turnovers in the last two games after committing three in the previous five games.
Defense: Denver enters the game with the best DEFi (94.5, A) in the NFL. The Broncos have six games in which they have been in the top three in a week.
Fantasy: The last time Courtland Sutton out-targeted Troy Franklin was in Week 5. The sophomore has outproduced the veteran 13.2 PPG to 9.1 PPG over that span.