Broncos put Patriots on notice with key weapon’s return to help Jarrett Stidham

The Denver Broncos are still acclimating to the shock after losing Bo Nix for the rest of the NFL season. However, the team is rallying behind Jarrett Stidham for the AFC Championship showdown against the New England Patriots. In that regard, the quarterback can be excited about the potential return of an offensive star.

J.K. Dobbins saw his impressive season with the Broncos come to an end after sustaining a foot injury. However, against all odds, the dynamic tailback has been activated off Injured Reserve (IR) and could make his return on Championship Sunday of the 2025 NFL season. He last played in Week 10, when Denver defeated the Las Vegas Raiders, 10–7. Now, Dobbins could return to NFL action 80 days after his last appearance.

Dobbins participated in Denver’s Wednesday practice ahead of the AFC title game on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High. Though nothing comes close to filling the void left by Nix’s absence, Dobbins’ potential return could help ease the pressure on Stidham. Moreover, it gives Mike Vrabel and the Patriots another thing to worry about going into the game.

Limited participant

Though being back on the practice field is great news for Dobbins and the Broncos, the 27-year-old talent out of the Ohio State University was listed as a limited participant. That means he is still not healthy enough to fully participate.

J.K. Dobbins #27 of the Denver Broncos

If his status doesn’t change heading into Sunday, then the odds won’t be on his side to play against New England. At the very least, not to be sent into the field consistently. For the Broncos, there isn’t much upside to using an active roster spot on a player if he can’t be trusted to go at any moment of the game. Even if that player is someone like Dobbins, who elevates Denver’s backfield to another level when healthy.

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Unfortunately for Dobbins, injuries have been a common theme throughout his career. Availability is the best ability and it’s the one that leaves Dobbins out of the conversation for the top running backs in the league.

Payton warns the Pats

Brady’s successor, the Auburn product (a Baylor transfer), will get a chance to cap off a full-circle storyline. The Broncos are different with Stidham as QB1—that’s undeniable—but head coach Sean Payton has no reason to believe that’s necessarily a bad thing.

“[Stidham is] going to rip it and that will be our approach,” Payton said, warning the Patriots not to take Stidham nor these Broncos for granted. In the NFL Playoffs, anything can happen. Improbable heroes and underdog stories have occurred before. None quite like Stidham’s, though, but that might be just the perfect motivation.

The tale of the game

When the Broncos and Patriots collide, two suffocating defenses will clash, while an MVP favorite will go head to head with a veteran backup who was once in his shoes. It may not be the flashiest of matchups, but it sure has a lot of emotion behind it.

Denver and New England meet in the AFC Championship Game. Both franchises have been here before, but the young rosters on each side have not. This game will be unlike any other—it will be the biggest of their careers, with only the winner moving on to an even bigger stage.