DENVER — The Denver Broncos’ 2026 offseason just took a massive gut punch. Fresh off a run to the AFC Championship, Sean Payton’s front office watched their primary backfield target, Travis Etienne, choose the New Orleans Saints over Mile High. The move left the Broncos “shocked,” forcing an immediate pivot to keep a familiar face in the building.
The Missed Connection in Mile High
According to Mike Sando of The Athletic, Denver executives believed a deal with the former Jaguars star was essentially a lock. Etienne hit the market after a stellar 2025 campaign where he racked up 1,107 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He carried that load in Jacksonville even while splitting touches with Tank Bigsby before Bigsby’s mid-season trade to Philadelphia. Denver saw him as the missing piece to an offense that struggled to find consistency on the ground.
When Etienne pivoted to New Orleans, the Broncos didn’t wait around. They quickly re-signed veteran J.K. Dobbins to a new deal. Dobbins led the Denver backfield last year with 772 rushing yards and four touchdowns. While he provided a steady hand alongside R.J. Harvey and Jaleel McLaughlin, the front office clearly wanted more “home run” potential. Missing out on Etienne suggests Denver still feels the backfield is a weak link that could hold them back from a Super Bowl return.
“We felt we were in a great position to add a special talent. It’s a business, and sometimes the board doesn’t fall your way. We love J.K., and he knows this system, but we aren’t done looking for ways to get faster.”— Anonymous Broncos Executive, via The Athletic
Playoff Implications / What’s Next
The 2025 season was a “what if” story for Denver. The team clawed their way to the AFC Championship but fell 10-7 to the Patriots while playing without star quarterback Bo Nix. Nix was the engine of the offense until a broken right ankle in the Divisional Round win over Buffalo sidelined him. While owner Greg Penner recently stated Nix is “ahead of schedule” in his recovery from surgery, the pressure is on to provide him with elite support.
Denver already made a massive splash by trading their 2026 first-round pick to the Miami Dolphins for Jaylen Waddle. Waddle, coming off a 910-yard, six-touchdown season, gives Nix a legitimate WR1 to pair with Courtland Sutton. However, the lack of a first-round selection on April 23 in Pittsburgh means the Broncos must find backfield value in the middle rounds. With the defense remaining a top-five unit in the league, the margin for error on offense is razor-thin. If they can’t find a way to replicate the explosive ground game Etienne would have provided, they risk wasting another year of a championship-caliber defense.
