The Broncos are 4-2 after a clutch Thursday night win over the Seahawks, but the offense’s issues are still hanging over everything. Denver has been one of the league’s worst offensive teams this season, and those problems showed up again in the second half against Seattle.
Now the Broncos are getting some help back.
Rookie running back Jonah Coleman is eligible and expected to return from injured reserve for Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals. Coleman has made an impression since arriving in Denver, and his return could give an offense that badly needs a spark exactly that.
Coleman landed on the injury report with a high ankle sprain after the Broncos’ Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Denver placed him on injured reserve soon after. The move ended up buying him a full four weeks to recover, which fit the Broncos’ condensed schedule after they knew he would miss at least three games and then face the Seahawks on a short week.
His outing against Jacksonville - especially what he did in the fourth quarter - is still the clearest example of why Denver wants him back. The stat line shows 39 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown, but that doesn’t capture the way he helped push the Broncos down the field against one of the NFL’s best run defenses for a go-ahead score.
That kind of impact is what Denver has been missing.
Coleman’s return also puts JK Dobbins in a more difficult spot. The past two games looked like a chance for Dobbins to make a case for the RB1 role while Coleman was out, but he hasn’t really taken control of it. He’s been struggling just like much of the Broncos offense, and he hasn’t been generating the yards after contact he was getting in the first half of the 2025 season.
There have been a few isolated runs that have sparked some energy over the last two games, but not enough to keep Coleman from taking back the top spot when he’s cleared to go. Dobbins may be headed for backup work before long.
Coleman gives Denver more of what it’s missing: yards after contact and more value in the passing game. Dobbins has also looked less explosive, and opponents have been stopping him at or near the line of scrimmage too often. Against Seattle, he finished with 17 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown, a 2.4 yards-per-carry average that simply won’t be enough.
In Other News...
Broncos Suddenly Face A Brutal Thursday Test In The Secondary
Denver is staring at a quick turnaround with its secondary suddenly in rough shape for Thursday nights game against Seattle. The Broncos are already planning without Patrick Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga, a pair of important defensive backs whose absence changes the look of the back end just as the team prepares for a Seahawks offense that still has plenty of passing-game firepower.
The concern gets sharper with Riley Moss listed as questionable because of a rib injury, which could leave Denver stretched thin in a key area of the field. Seattle has some injury issues of its own, including linebacker Drake Thomas, linebacker Chazz Surratt and running back Zach Charbonnet, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Leonard Williams are expected to play, so the Broncos may still be looking at a demanding test under the prime-time lights. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Face A Brutal Week 6 Test In The Secondary
Denvers secondary is heading into Week 6 with some real uncertainty as it prepares for Seattle, and the timing is hardly ideal. Patrick Surtain II and Talanoa Hufanga are both out with ankle injuries, while Riley Moss is listed as questionable, leaving the Broncos thinner than usual in a part of the defense that is usually built to travel and match up.
Seattle brings a clear focal point in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who has become the centerpiece of the passing game and the kind of receiver Denver has to account for on every snap. With the back end shorthanded, the Broncos may have to lean on coverage adjustments and a steadier pass rush to keep the Seahawks from dictating the rhythm of the game. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Pass Rush Hinges On Jonathon Coopers Uncertain NFL Status
Jonathon Coopers status has become one of the key questions hovering over Denvers pass rush as the outside linebacker remains on the NFL commissioners exempt list while his domestic violence case continues. The league is monitoring the matter under its personal conduct policy, leaving the Broncos in a holding pattern with a player who had been part of their edge-rushing plans and now cannot take the field while the process plays out.
The uncertainty is especially tricky because there is still a path, however unsettled, for Cooper to be back during the middle of the season if circumstances change. For now, though, Denver has to plan without knowing when or whether he will be available, and that lingering unknown could shape how the Broncos manage one of their most important defensive spots for weeks to come. [Read more 🡒]