ENGLEWOOD – Running back J.K. Dobbins said last Sunday that ‘maybe I was born to be a Bronco.”

So does that mean Dobbins, who signed a one-year, $2.065 million contract in June, wants to sign an extension with the Broncos?

“That doesn’t cross my mind but me just wanting to be here in Denver, yes,’’ Dobbins said after Thursday’s practice at Broncos Park. “I hope to end my career here and be here for the rest of the time in the NFL. As far as extension and all that, though, I don’t think about that but, yeah, that would be nice because I want to be in Denver.”

Dobbins has rushed for 634 yards this season, including having 111 on 15 carries in last Sunday’s 44-24 win over Dallas. After that game, Dobbins, who played with Baltimore from 2020-23 and the Los Angeles Chargers last season, talked about having found a home in Denver.

“I love it and I love the fan base,’’ Dobbins said Thursday. “I think the fan base and I have a connection. I love my teammates and I also love (head coach) Sean Payton and I love the owners. … I love (Denver), the beautiful mountains. I love being here in the altitude now.”

Dobbins has battled injuries throughout his career. He rushed for 805 yards as a rookie with the Ravens in 2020 but then played in just nine games for them over the next three seasons, suffering a torn ACL and a torn Achilles tendon during that period. Dobbins bounced back to rush for 905 yards with the Chargers last season but did miss four games due to a sprained knee.

Dobbins has remained healthy this season, and is averaging an impressive 5.3 yards per carry. He is third in the NFL in rushing, trailing Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor, who has 850 yards, and Buffalo’s James Cook, who has 753.

“I want to be the best’’ Dobbins said. “I know Jonathan Taylor is running really hard and he’s really good, and James Cook, that’s one of my good friends. But I still want to be number one, ahead of those guys, and I’m going to keep working every single week no matter the task at hand. … That is my goal (to win the rushing title).”

Next up is Sunday’s game at Houston. The Texans are No. 1 in the NFL in both scoring and total defense and Dobbins doesn’t deny it will be “a tough task.”

Dobbins grew up in La Grange, Texas, a small town 100 miles west of Houston, and he makes his home in the Houston area. So there have been plenty of ticket requests.

“It’s a lot people, but tickets, I can’t get everybody,’’ Dobbins said. “It’d get a little expensive. But it’s going to be a lot of support there and I can’t wait to go home and play there again. It’s going to be a great time. It’s going to be a special moment for me. Hopefully, I do great.”

It will mark Dobbins’ third NFL game at Houston. When he was the Ravens’ rookie playing in his second pro game, he had two carries for 48 yards in their 33-16 win. But last January in a wild-card playoff game, Dobbins had just nine carries for 26 yards for the Chargers in a 32-12 loss.

“I don’t even want to talk about that game,’’ he said.

When Dobbins was talking to the media Thursday, Broncos tackle Garett Bolles joked that he should do the interview in Spanish. Dobbins, fluent in the language, gave an interview in Spanish earlier Thursday.

Joseph has ‘good plan’ with Surtain out

With cornerback Pat Surtain to miss Sunday’s game with a strained left pectoral, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said the Broncos’ defense will still be well prepared.

“We have a good plan to kind of pull Pat’s weight with multiple guys,’’ Joseph said. “It won’t just be one guy. It’s going to be all of us. It’s me calling the game clean, it’s our defensive line providing pass rush for our young defensive backs and it’s our defensive backs just doing it right and playing to the system. It can’t be a drop off when you lose only one player, as great as Pat is. We get that, but we have a game to go win. I expect us to play well. And the guys that are playing in place of Pat, I expect them to play well.”

Second-year man Kris Abrams-Draine replaced Surtain in the second half against the Cowboys. Joseph said he has “no worries with him playing’’ Sunday.

Surtain did not practice Thursday along with tight end Nate Adkins and wide receiver Marvin Mims, who both were hurt against Dallas. Adkins, who has a knee injury, won’t play against the Cowboys and Mims, who has a concussion, is in jeopardy of sitting out.

The Broncos also listed safety P.J. Locke as limited in practice Thursday for the second straight day due to a neck injury. And offensive lineman Alex Forsyth was limited with an ankle injury after being a full participant Wednesday.

Lutz named player of the month

For a month in which he made two field goals of 55 yards or more, Broncos kicker Wil Lutz was named Thursday as AFC special teams player of the month for October.

During the month, Lutz made all six of his field-goal attempts and all nine of his extra points as the Broncos went 4-0. The month included Lutz making a 55-yard field goal at Philadelphia on Oct. 5 and a 57-yarder on Oct. 12 against the New York Jets in London, the longest boot in his three Denver seasons.

“It was great,’’ Lutz said about the award. “Obviously, it’s cool to get recognized. It was a good month. We didn’t kick a ton of field goals, but we had some big ones. Anytime you have team success it helps with these individual recognitions.”

It marks the third special teams player of the month honor for Lutz and his second with Broncos. Lutz, in his ninth NFL season, won NFC special teams player of the month for the New Orleans Saints in September 2018, and his first AFC award came with the Broncos in November 2023.