Log in
My Account
Subscribe 99¢ for 3 months
Newsletter

Today's Digital Newspaper

The Gazette

Weather Block Here

Login
My Account
Subscribe
Newsletter

Archive Information

Carrier Portal

Search

Buy Our Photos

Broncos open preseason vs. 49ers with J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey providing optimism in running game

By Chris Tomasson August 8, 2025 | updated 2 days ago

1 of 2
Broncos 49ers Football

Denver Broncos running back Audric Estime runs with the ball during a joint NFL football training camp with the San Francisco 49ers, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Godofredo A. Vásquez

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The statistics in the Broncos’ running game last season were downright ugly.

Since-departed Javonte Williams was their top rusher with a meager 513 yards, the second-lowest total by a Broncos leader over the past 42 seasons. They had one gain all season by a running back longer than 21 yards and that came late in a game in a rout against reserves.

But help has arrived and it will be on display Saturday night when Denver faces San Francisco in the preseason opener at Levi’s Stadium. The Broncos signed free agent J.K. Dobbins and selected RJ Harvey in the second round of the draft. Dobbins is the projected starter and Denver coach Sean Payton has said starters will see some action against the 49ers.  

“Really excited,’’ quarterback Bo Nix said when asked about seeing the Broncos’ new running backs in the preseason. “We have a really good running back room right now. They’re competing really well. … We put the pieces together and we have a really good O-line that’s going to set the foundations and we have backs that can run and move the football. So I’m excited.”

Nix spoke of the entire running back room, which includes four holdovers from last season in Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime, Tyler Badie and Blake Watson. And perhaps they will show improvement in the three-game preseason.

McLaughlin wasn’t as good in 2024, rushing for 496 yards while averaging 4.4 yards per carry, as he had been as a rookie in 2023, when he gained 410 yards while averaging 5.4. Estime was erratic last season as a rookie, rushing for 310 yards with a 4.1 average and being benched for the 31-7 wild-card playoff loss at Buffalo.

Badie showed some flashes, rushing for 86 yards on 11 carries, but he missed most of the season due to a back injury. And Watson, an undrafted rookie in 2024, had just two carries for 10 yards.

Enter Dobbins and Harvey. Dobbins has battled numerous injuries since entering the NFL in 2020, but he rushed for 905 yards last season with the Los Angeles Chargers and has 2,252 career yards with an impressive average of 5.2 per carry. Harvey at Central Florida gained 1,416 yards in 2023 and 1,577 last season while averaging 6.8 per attempt, and is in line to be the No. 2 back.

“I think (it) was a good start,’’ Broncos tackle Mike McGlinchey said about the running game in Thursday’s joint practice against the 49ers. “I think it has been a focal point for us all throughout (training) camp. It’s something we talk about both in the offensive line room, tight end room, receiver room, running back room. It takes all 11 guys to run the football well.”

Sign Up For Free: Mile High 5

Your daily report on everything sports in Colorado – covering the Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and columns from Woody Paige and Paul Klee.

View all of our newsletters.

Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

View all of our newsletters.

function subscribeSuccess() {
var nsltrform = document.querySelector(“#nsltr”);
var nsltrSuccess = document.querySelector(“#successnsltr”);

nsltrform.classList.add(“hideblock”);
nsltrSuccess.classList.remove(“hideblock”);
}

function validateEmail(email) {
return String(email)
.toLowerCase()
.match(
/^(([^()[]\.,;:s@”]+(.[^()[]\.,;:s@”]+)*)|(“.+”))@(([[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}])|(([a-zA-Z-0-9]+.)+[a-zA-Z]{2,}))$/
);
}

function validateEmailAddress() {
const result = document.querySelector(“#result”);
const email = document.querySelector(“#email”).value;

result.innerText = “”;

if(validateEmail(email)) {
newsletterSubscribe(email);
} else {
result.innerText = ‘The email entered: ‘ + email + ‘ is not valid :(‘;
result.style.color = “red”;
}
return false;
}

function newsletterSubscribe(email) {
fetch(“https://services.gazette.com/mg2-newsletters.php?action=subscribe&site=denvergazette.com&emailPreferenceId=59&email=” + email, {
method: “POST”
}).then(res => {
console.log(“SUCCESSFUL POST”);
subscribeSuccess();
});

}

#nsltr {
min-width: 100%;
margin: 10px 0;
padding: 10px 20px;
background-color: #2076b3;

background-image: url(https://static.gazette.com/emails/circ/Audience%20Images/pp5%20signup%203.png);
background-size: cover;

}

#nsltr-header {
color: #fff4f4;
}
#nsltr-body {
text-align: center;
color: #ffffff;
}
#nsltr-button {
margin-top: 5px;
}
#successnsltr {
min-width: 100%;
margin: 10px 0;
padding: 10px 20px;
background-color: green;
text-align: center;
color: white;
}

#successnsltr a {
color: white;
}

.hideblock {
display:none;
}

h6 a {
color: black;
text-decoration: none;
padding: 5px;
background-color: #bbccdd;
font-weight: 600;
}

@media only screen and (min-width: 768px) {
#nsltr {
background-image: url(https://static.gazette.com/emails/circ/Audience%20Images/pp5%20signup%203.png);
background-size: cover;
}
}

Featured Local Savings

The Broncos the past two seasons have a kept a fullback in Michael Burton, and he is still with the team. As for running backs, it remains to be seen if they will have three or four on the 53-man roster.

Dobbins and Harvey are locks to make it. There is plenty of competition after that.

Badie is having a good training camp and could be a wild card in the mix. He had Denver’s longest run of the season with a 43-yard scamper late in a 26-7 win at Tampa Bay in Week 3. But the following week he took a hard hit at the New York Jets and was lost for the rest of the regular season with the back injury.

In a surprise move, Badie was activated for the playoff game against the Bills and Estime was made inactive. With the Broncos trailing much of the game, Badie ended up getting just two carries for 8 yards.

“He does a lot of things well,’’ Payton said. “He’s someone who can play on third down. He is, I would say, a very good receiver at that position, and he’s right there in the thick of it as we start evaluating that group of runners who are all competing for a spot or two.”

Asked earlier this week how carries will be divided up Saturday, Denver offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said that remained to be seen. Regardless, plenty of eyes will be on how the new backs look and what steps forward any of the holdovers might have taken.

The Broncos have lofty expectations this season and how far they go could depend plenty on their running game.

“I guess I would like to say we’re going to be at the top of the league,’’ McGlinchey said when asked what a strong running attack might mean for the Broncos. “That’s the whole goal every time you lace up your cleats is trying to be the best you can be and be part of the best unit in the world. … I think we have that capability. I think we can be as good as we can be just by doing our job every day and detailing the things that we need to get cleaned up from last year and just blocking the heck out of people.”

8d1a1993-df81-4188-ae35-cf069099168d

View Original Article | Split View
Tags
Chris Tomasson

Reporter

PREV

PREVIOUS

Friday Faceoff: Where are Nuggets in NBA power rankings after robust offseason?

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save The start of the NBA season is over two months away, but offseason moves are all but complete for the majority of the league. Where should the Nuggets rank in the NBA power rankings after a positive summer in Denver? Vinny Benedetto, Nuggets beat writer: […]

NEXT

NEXT UP

Broncos DL Matt Henningsen suffers potential Achilles injury at 49ers joint practice, per source

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save A reserve Broncos defensive lineman might miss significant time due to injury. Matt Henningsen exited joint practice with the 49ers early on Thursday and may have suffered an Achilles injury, a source confirmed to The Denver Gazette. Henningsen requires further testing to determine the severity. […]