New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh has been getting the band back together from his near two-decade tenure with the Baltimore Ravens in East Rutherford. Why not add veteran running back J.K. Dobbins, who appears to be falling out of favor with the Denver Broncos, to the mix?
The Giants can use backfield reinforcements, especially with Tyrone Tracy Jr.'s placement on injured reserve (hamstring) and seemingly open for business. Dobbins took a clear back seat to Broncos fourth-round rookie Jonah Coleman in their 30-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals and has history with Harbaugh. Put two and two together, and we have a potential match as the NFL's Nov. 10 trade deadline rapidly approaches.
Turning 28 in December, Dobbins is under contract through 2027, with a potential out after this year. He was on a 1,300-plus-yard pace in 10 games in 2025 before suffering a season-ending Lisfranc injury. The G-Men can do much worse and should at least inquire about him, considering the Broncos' recent actions suggest they're ready to move on.
J.K. Dobbins fading out of Broncos' RB plans opens door for Giants trade
Dobbins logged just two of 27 second-half snaps in Denver's victory against the Cardinals. He saw two carries in the final two quarters compared to Coleman's seven. The former also ran zero routes during that stretch.
Is Dobbins becoming expendable, and if so, why can't New York be a landing spot? Keep in mind that Coleman was returning from a high-ankle sprain in Arizona and missed the previous four contests. The Broncos had no problem throwing the latter into the fire when they were chewing clock, and RJ Harvey remained the primary pass-catching back.
As alluded to earlier, Dobbins spent his first four pro campaigns with the Harbaugh-led Ravens after Baltimore selected him in Round 2 of the 2020 draft. The Ohio State product even spent 2024 with the other Harbaugh brother, Jim, who leads the Los Angeles Chargers. In other words, the ties run deep.
New York fans are dreaming of landing star workhorse Jonathan Taylor amid an Indianapolis Colts fire sale. While that's certainly good and fair, Dobbins reuniting with Harbaugh feels like a more realistic move.
However, it's worth noting that acquiring Dobbins doesn't come without risk at this stage of his career.
John Harbaugh, Giants should consider that J.K. Dobbins might be on the decline
By virtually every metric, Dobbins has been one of the league's least efficient rushers in 2026. Yards per carry (3.37), explosive run rate (6.5 percent), success rate (39.1 percent), yards over expectation (-72.3), you name it. There's no sugarcoating his stark year-over-year regression.
Given Dobbins' production, or lack thereof, it's hard to blame the Broncos for exploring alternative options. He hasn't been able to get the job done for them. To make matters worse, you can argue that the drop-off has a lot to do with the significant wear and tear on his body.
Durability has been a problem for Dobbins since college. More specifically, he's dealt with several leg issues that may finally be catching up to him. Harbaugh ought to know better than almost anyone to tread lightly.
Note: Advanced metrics courtesy of Fantasy Points' data suite 2.0 ($).
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