When the Denver Broncos used their fourth-round pick in April's draft to select Jonah Coleman out of Washington, many fans immediately saw him as the team's RB1 of the future. The future may already be here.
Coleman knew he would have to step his game up with RJ Harvey ruled out of the team's Week 2 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to a hamstring injury. Coleman getting a bigger workload was exciting news for many Broncos fans who were disappointed when the rookie was only given three offensive snaps in Week 1.
Coleman made the most of it and ended up scoring the game's winning touchdown.
First TD for the rook!
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 20, 2026
📺: @NFLonCBS / @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/lwtGesjhr4
Coleman rushed for 39 yards on 10 carries, but he brings a certain aggressiveness
with him that can rub off on the team. With Harvey hobbled and the injury history of J.K. Dobbins, who was also dinged up on Sunday, the future of the Broncos' running back position belongs to Coleman. He also caught three passes in the game.
Pat Surtain II's father, former NFL player Patrick Surtain, seemed impressed.
Going get me a Jonah Coleman jersey. I like Rook💪🏾
— PAT SURTAINl (@psurtain23) September 20, 2026
Broncos should lean on Jonah Coleman starting now
Coach Sean Payton has always seemed hesitant to place too much responsibility on his rookies, opting instead to work them in slowly. However, plans can and should always change when necessary.
“He played well,” Payton said of Coleman’s performance after the game. “Then the very end, that last carry was… We work on four-minute [situations], but that certainly didn’t feel like a rookie series, if you will. He came up big, and we needed it. …. His play right at the end, staying in bounds, that was something you cover, but maybe he doesn’t get those same reps in practice. He did a good job.”
Jonah Coleman’s vision on these downhill under-center runs is something this offense has been missing and is the best part of his game. Effortlessly sets up the blocking angles and manipulates the 2nd level defenders. pic.twitter.com/7C3lGI8ma3
— Robby (@Robby_NFL) September 21, 2026
The Broncos' rushing attack has not looked great in the first few weeks with Dobbins leading the charge. But there's a different feeling when Coleman gets the ball, and the fact that he didn't get a single carry in Week 1 seemed strange at the time and looks worse after the way he performed when his number was called against Jacksonville.
It seems the Broncos plan to have Dobbins and Harvey back in the lineup soon, but the team should not restrict the playing time of Coleman as a result. He needs to be a part of the team's game plan each week going forward until he gradually becomes the clear-cut starter.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Jonah Coleman shows glimpse of Broncos’ future at running back
