Broncos Rookie Jonah Coleman To See Increased Role
Denver Broncos running back Jonah Coleman took on a larger workload in Sunday’s 20-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars after the two backs ahead of him on the depth chart were sidelined by hamstring injuries. Denver hosts the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday night, and the status of both injured backs is unresolved.
RJ Harvey did not play. He was a non-participant in practice Wednesday, limited Thursday and Friday, and carried a questionable tag into the weekend. The Broncos ruled him inactive before kickoff.
J.K. Dobbins started and carried 10 times for 36 yards. He left with a left hamstring injury late in the third quarter and did not return. Head coach Sean Payton kept his comments brief after the game. “He’s frustrated. Got a little hamstring. We’ll see where it’s at,” Payton said. He gave no severity grade or recovery timeline. Payton also said Denver was “down to two and the fullback” after planning to dress three running backs.
That left Coleman as the lead option. Denver trailed 13-6 entering the fourth quarter. Coleman scored on a 3-yard run with 7:21 remaining, putting the Broncos ahead 20-13. Denver scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Coleman finished with 10 carries for 39 yards and caught three passes for 19 yards.
Coleman also handled key runs in the closing minutes. A 12-yard run forced Jacksonville to use its final timeout. Later carries helped Denver run out the clock. Tyler Badie also saw action and caught a 27-yard pass from quarterback Bo Nix.
The win moved Denver to 1-1. The Broncos opened the season with a 31-10 loss at Kansas City on Monday night, Sept. 14. In that game, Dobbins carried eight times for 36 yards, and Harvey had three carries for 18 yards.
Before Sunday, the Broncos’ running back depth chart listed Dobbins first, Harvey second, Coleman third, and Badie fourth. No updated depth chart has been confirmed since the game.
The next confirmed opponent is the Rams. Kickoff is set for Sunday, Sept. 27, at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC at Denver. NFL insider James Palmer reported that Dobbins has “a slight hamstring issue” and that the team is optimistic he can be available. Harvey’s Week 3 outlook has not been reported. Neither player has an official practice designation yet, since the weekly injury report has not been released.
If either back cannot go, Coleman and Badie are the other running backs on the depth chart. Payton has not said how Denver would divide the work in that case.
Practice participation this week will show where each back stands.
