The Los Angeles Chargers' backfield holds great promise in 2026 under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
With the speed, burst, and pure athleticism of Omarion Hampton and Keaton Mitchell, McDaniel should be able to wield his pair of running backs in his outside zone-heavy scheme to great effect. Although Hampton missed a large chunk of his rookie year with an ankle injury, he still posted an impressive 4.4 yards-per-attempt in an offense often held back by Greg Roman's schematic inefficiencies. Mitchell also likely has a major role to play as a change-of-pace back, similar to his situation with the Baltimore Ravens.
But the shape of the Chargers' current backfield can be tied back to a gamble they took last offseason, letting J.K Dobbins walk while adding Hampton in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Of course, this gamble seemed to pay off in the short-term. Dobbins dealt with injury issues in his first season with the Denver Broncos, and the Chargers now have a youthful backfield with a strong long-term outlook. It was clearly the right move for Los Angeles.
Denver looked to make a larger splash on the market this offseason in search of a running back, but they ultimately fell short. Their decision to bring Dobbins back carries a very real amount of risk.
That doesn't mean that Dobbins' career is done, however, and he could be poised for a major resurgence as he begins his second season in Denver. It's not out of the realm of possibility that the sixth-year running back comes to dominate the AFC West in 2026.
Don't count J.K. Dobbins out as he aims for a healthy 2026 season
2026 could very well be the season of the running back in the AFC West. The Kansas City Chiefs added reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III in free agency. The Raiders have second-year running back Ashton Jeanty under a revamped, Klint Kubiak-led offense. The Chargers have a major breakout candidate in Hampton.
But don't count Dobbins out, either.
Although Dobbins' season was ended in Week 10 by a ligament tear, he was highly effective in his first appearances with the Broncos. Across 10 games, he amassed 772 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 153 attempts, carving out a clear role as Denver's lead back ahead of then-rookie RJ Harvey. If you stretch his 5.0 yards-per-attempt over the course of a whole season, Dobbins easily cracks the 1,000-yard threshold.
In an interview with the Denver Post, Dobbins expressed his optimism and confidence for 2026, stating that expects to be the top yards-getter in the league next season.
"What I'm going to show is that last year wasn't a fluke. Like, instead of being No. 3 in the NFL, I'll be No. 1 this year. And there won't be any injuries," J.K. Dobbins, via Luc Evans of the Denver Post
As much derision as Denver's offense drew at times in 2025, they were relatively effective with Bo Nix at the helm. Although they finished the season 16th in total rushing yards and 15th in yards-per-attempt, head coach Sean Payton often relied on the run game to set up their play action-heavy passing attack. With Davis Webb taking over play-calling duties in 2026, Dobbins should already have a heavy workload carved out.
Of course, this all hinges on if Dobbins can stay healthy. He missed most of 2022 and almost all of 2023 when he was with the Baltimore Ravens, and he played in just 13 games during his singular season with Los Angeles.
But if Dobbins is active and available for an emerging Denver offense, it's quite possible we see a major resurgence from him in 2026.
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