JK Dobbins is not the Broncos player under the most pressure in 2026, so who is?

JK Dobbins is not the Broncos player under the most pressure in 2026, so who is? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>The Denver Broncos wasted no time in re-signing running back J.K. Dobbins this offseason, a move that came as a surprise to some. Despite finishing the 2025 season on injured reserve after a serious foot injury in Week 10, Dobbins was brought back to Denver.

>It wasn't just the fact that the Broncos re-signed Dobbins that was surprising, but they rewarded him with a two-year contract worth up to $20 million. That has led to Jacob Infante of Pro Football Network naming Dobbins the player under the most pressure for the team this season.

>"J.K. Dobbins missed seven games in 2025, which continues the trend of availability issues in his NFL career. He averaged a career-high 77.2 rushing yards per game with a strong 5.0 yards per carry for the Denver Broncos last year. However, with 2025 second-round pick RJ Harvey and rookie Jonah Coleman also in the backfield, the Broncos could save $8 million by releasing him if he continues to struggle with staying healthy", wrote Infante.

>But there are players who could and should be considered under much more pressure than Dobbins. In fact, there's one on each side of the ball.

>On offense, the Broncos made a massive trade to acquire wide receiver Jaylen Waddle this offseason, giving up picks in the first, third and fourth rounds to get him. Waddle is seen as the player who will unlock this offense's full potential. Meanwhile, Dobbins is a role player who may not even be the focal point of the rushing attack.

>Waddle is expected to be the dynamic weapon this offense has lacked. In other words, the team can probably afford for Dobbins to fail. It can't afford for Waddle to be a flop.

>What about on the defensive side of the ball? As long as Pat Surtain II is a cornerback on one side, Riley Moss is going to be under intense pressure every week because the shots against him are most certainly coming. He saw that last year, drawing a league-leading 10 pass interference penalties.

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>Teams are going to target Moss at will in 2026, avoiding Surtain and continuing to force Moss to make plays rather than draw yellow flags. If that's not pressure, what is?

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