The Denver Broncos have had a decent but not extraordinary offseason so far. There haven’t been any major moves that have earned widespread praise, nor have there been any significant missteps that have drawn criticism.
Considering the team is dealing with over $30 million in dead cap space for 2025, it’s a relatively stable situation.
However, the Broncos still face a major issue in the running back position, which remains unresolved. Last year’s leading rusher, Javonte Williams, has left for the Dallas Cowboys on a one-year, $3 million deal.
Although the NFL draft may provide a solution, relying solely on it might not be the wisest approach for the Broncos. They should seriously consider signing 4-time Pro Bowler and NFL All-Pro running back Nick Chubb.
As ESPN’s Jeff Legwold mentioned on March 19, “The Broncos have a lot of snaps, carries, and receptions available after Javonte Williams’ departure to the Cowboys in free agency… expect the Broncos to add at least one running back in the draft and possibly more in free agency.”
Chubb’s career has been hindered by injuries, limiting him to just 10 games over the past two seasons. He suffered a serious knee injury in Week 2 of 2023 and a broken foot in Week 15 of 2024.
Chubb could be a potential “reclamation project” for the Broncos. On the March 19 episode of the Locked on Broncos podcast, it was suggested that under Sean Payton’s leadership, the Broncos may be more open to taking on players with injury histories, like Chubb, to rejuvenate their careers. “A guy like Nick Chubb could elevate many players on the Denver offense, showing them how to be professionals,” the podcast noted.
Chubb was one of the league’s top running backs for the first five years of his career with the Cleveland Browns, after being drafted in the second round (No. 35 overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft. He posted four consecutive seasons of over 1,000 rushing yards from 2019 to 2022. He signed a three-year, $36 million extension in July 2021 and had a career-best 2022 season with 1,525 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns, and 239 receiving yards with one touchdown.
Since 2019, the Broncos haven’t had a running back exceed 1,000 rushing yards in a season. Despite ending a decade-long playoff drought in 2024 with a 10-7 record, the Broncos’ rushing game was largely ineffective. Williams led the team with just 513 yards and four touchdowns, averaging only 3.7 yards per carry.
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