In his return from a high ankle sprain that sent him to injured reserve for a month, it took just one game for Jonah Coleman to assert himself as the new lead running back in the Denver Broncos' backfield.
As the Broncos earned a 30-16 win on the road over the Arizona Cardinals, Coleman led Denver's running back room, which also includes J.K. Dobbins and R.J. Harvey, with a 49 percent snap share. In the win, he took nine carries for 54 yards and added a pair of receptions for 15 more.
Now, with coach Sean Payton's team preparing for a matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, the former Washington Huskies star appears to be in line for a heavier workload, especially with Harvey slated to miss the game with a knee injury.
Before this season,
Jonah Coleman stated he's only missed one football game in his life. He missed four on IR this year. He said it "sucked," especially after his good game against the Jaguars. Added the training staff and coaches were like his family during his rehab. "When… pic.twitter.com/YYIyqyErvs
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevens) October 30, 2026
"I'm ready for any opportunity I'm given, and whenever I'm out there on the field, I'm going to give the team my all," Coleman told the media on Friday. "So I don't really control if my role is bigger or not, so just be prepared for my opportunity when I get into the game."
As Coleman has continued to pick up steam, he seems to have a strong argument to be Denver's lead back going forward after Dobbins got into a heated exchange with reporters after being asked about losing playing time to the rookie.
“I like to consider myself a pro, right? Now, if we’re losing, and I’m not getting the carries, s***, I’m gonna be mad as f***,” Dobbins said on Thursday. “But if we’re winning, and it’s working—I just want to win. I just want to win. I’ve been in the playoffs plenty of times. I just want to win a Super Bowl. And so, I just want to win. So, whatever it takes to do that, that’s what it is.”
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Jonah Coleman trending towards lead role in Denver Broncos backfield
