Since the Denver Broncos selected former Washington Huskies star running back Jonah Coleman in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL draft, it was clear that head coach Sean Payton wanted to utilize him early.
After a high-ankle sprain sent him to injured reserve for a month, Coleman returned with a bang, rushing for 41 yards and a go-ahead touchdown in a 28-24 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, while adding 4 catches for 63 yards in the win over quarterback Patrick Mahomes and their AFC West rivals.
With second-year back RJ Harvey now on injured reserve with a knee injury, Coleman also got a chance to show off his understanding of pass protection, which was a big selling point of his development during his time under Jedd Fisch and running backs coach
Scottie Graham.
Sean Payton on Jonah Coleman’s rookie year: pic.twitter.com/etMqrmRrp4
— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) November 4, 2026
"The one thing that was unique about him is, oftentimes you don't get to see (rookies) in third-down protection plans, but he was someone that we had quite a bit of tape on," Payton told the media on Monday. "Advanced protection plans, and he's built to handle the blitz. It's one thing to know who I have, but then also to be strong enough to do it."
"You don't get to stamp that with a lot of rookie backs that you feel like they're going to develop into. We saw enough that we felt like he was going to be a good third-down protecting back as well, with the way he was built."
As Coleman continues to pick up steam, he'll have an opportunity to build on his success against the No. 30-ranked run defense in the NFL when the Broncos take on the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Sean Payton praises Jonah Coleman's advanced development at Washington
