The Broncos may have found something real in Jonah Coleman.
That’s the takeaway from Saturday’s camp update, and it lands at a time when Denver has been trying to sort out its backfield for years. J.K. Dobbins looked like he had steadied the room through the first 10 games of the 2025 NFL season, but everything changed after a freak injury on an illegal hip-drop tackle left him with a season-ending foot injury.
Once Dobbins was out, rookie RJ Harvey slid into the RB1 job. He finished his rookie season with 12 touchdowns, but the production on a down-to-down basis never really matched the scoring. His work between the tackles remained a problem, and his rushing average stayed under 4.0 yards per carry.
That’s where Coleman enters the picture. Parker Gabriel reported Saturday that Coleman has been the Broncos’ best between-the-tackles runner in camp outside of Dobbins, writing:
Jonah Coleman so far in camp has consistently produced between the tackles at a higher level than any back on the #Broncos roster not named J.K. Dobbins.
That kind of note matters for a Denver offense that could use more dependable work on the ground. Dobbins is back on a two-year deal and remains the RB1, but the Broncos are not likely to lean on him as a true bell cow given the injury concerns. Coleman’s emergence could give them a cleaner way to manage his workload.
It also puts Harvey in a different light. He has shown up as a pass-catcher during camp, and this update suggests he may be better suited for a third-down role than for heavy rushing duty. Unless that changes in a major way, Harvey doesn’t appear to be trending toward a big role as a runner.
For Coleman, though, the path is starting to open. He could be the back who takes the extra carries Denver doesn’t want to give Dobbins, especially if the team wants to protect its starter over the course of the season. A split like Dobbins around 11 carries per game, Coleman handling the leftovers, and Harvey working as the primary receiving threat is at least easy to picture now.
That lines up with what Sean Payton already said earlier in the offseason, when he compared Coleman’s running style to Dobbins. Saturday’s report doesn’t change the Broncos’ depth chart by itself, but it does make the Coleman buzz feel a lot more grounded.
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Across the division, Chargers rookie receiver Brenen Thompson is chasing something camp chatter cannot guarantee, the steady trust that comes only from winning over Justin Herbert in a crowded offense. Thompson talked about the mental grind of learning the system and the adjustment that comes with operating at NFL speed, which is a reminder that the hardest part for young skill players is often not the route tree but the reliability test. For Denver, it is the same familiar AFC West backdrop: quarterbacks and skill players trying to turn summer promise into something more durable once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]