The 2025 NFL season is officially over, and the league will now fully turn its attention to the next campaign, with the Denver Broncos among the teams in focus. They endured a harsh defeat in the AFC Championship and will look to return stronger next season under Sean Payton.
What could they do to improve?
RB Kenneth Walker Could Land With Broncos for 2026 NFL Season
Super Bowl champion running back Kenneth Walker will be a hot commodity on the open market this offseason. If the Seattle Seahawks don’t find a way to retain him, the Super Bowl MVP will find himself cashing a massive check on a new team.
PFSN’s Jacob Westendorf believes there is a gap for him to fill at the Broncos. Running back JK Dobbins was plagued by injuries last year, and Payton’s offense should benefit tremendously from consistency in the backfield.
“The Denver Broncos’ run game was a mess a season ago, and that was entirely on display in their 10-7 loss in the AFC Championship Game to the New England Patriots,” Westendorf wrote. “While the Patriots could not get much going on offense, they had some semblance of a ground game. Denver could not move the ball at all as conditions worsened and could not muster a single scoring drive that would have propelled them into the Super Bowl.”
Dobbins missed almost half of the season due to a foot injury, and rookie RJ Harvey was left to pick up the slack with some support from Jaleel McLaughlin.
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“Dobbins missed significant time with an injury,” Westendorf added. “Harvey averaged less than four yards per carry. Walker would be an upgrade at both spots and would give Denver a more threatening backfield presence, complementing a fully recovered Bo Nix and a passing game that was the catalyst for their offense throughout a campaign that saw them finish with the one seed.”
Quarterback Bo Nix proved to be a dual-threat in his own right this season. He finished with 3,931 passing yards for 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in addition to 356 rushing yards and 5 scores.
Pairing him with a stable backfield presence like Walker could take Denver to new heights. The running back recorded 1,027 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns — pairing well with a receiving game in which he caught 31 balls for 282 yards (65.8 PFSN RB Impact).
It should be noted that Walker will be a priority re-signing for the Seahawks this offseason, given his significant contributions throughout the campaign. Only if they fail to retain him will we see a bidding war ensue.
