J.K. Dobbins' pinky promise: All 17 games and No. 1 in rushing! | Dover and Cecil
J.K. Dobbins took the podium at Broncos training camp on Friday and delivered one of the most electric press conferences of the offseason. He didn't just set goals — he made a "double pinky promise" to head coach Sean Payton and GM George Paton that he would play all 17 games and lead the NFL in rushing in 2026.
The problem? Dobbins has missed 53 of a possible 85 games over the past five seasons. He's dealt with a torn ACL, torn LCL, meniscus damage, a torn Achilles, and most recently a Lisfranc injury that ended his 2025 season after just 10 games — when he was 5th in the NFL in rushing with 772 yards. He's never played a full 17-game season in his career.
But Dobbins says the curse is over. He invested in a Tom Brady-style flexibility program this offseason, calling himself "Elasti-Boy," and says he's ready to bounce back from anything. "Whoever has my doll, on the left side, they're done. It's just done. You'll see."
On today's Dover and Cecil on 104.3 The Fan, we break down whether Dobbins' bold promises should excite Broncos Country or raise red flags. The Broncos re-signed him to a 2-year, $16M deal with only $8M guaranteed this season and drafted Jonah Coleman in the 4th round as insurance alongside RJ Harvey. Is that enough of a safety net, or are the Broncos setting themselves up for another mid-season scramble at running back?
