The Denver Broncos have certainly dealt with some early-season injuries at the running back position thus far. Second-year back RJ Harvey has already missed a game, and veteran J.K. Dobbins left the Broncos Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars with what was officially noted as a hip injury.
And rookie Jonah Coleman also suffered an ankle sprain in that win over Jacksonville. In Week 3, the Broncos host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football, a game that could end up being one of the toughest the team will have played in the Sean Payton era.
Unfortunately for Coleman, the rookie won't be suiting up for that game, as it was announced on Saturday afternoon that he'd be put on injured reserve and is now out at least four games.
Denver Broncos will be down Jonah Coleman for at least four games in 2026
Coleman is going to be placed on short-term injured reserve, meaning he has to miss four games. The report from Adam Schefter already indicates that he is 'expected back' for the Broncos October 25th game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Source: With a high-ankle sprain, Broncos RB Jonah Coleman now will miss the next few games and be placed on short-term injured reserve today.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 26, 2026
Coleman is expected back for the Broncos’ game against the Cardinals in late October. pic.twitter.com/sZqFPX8TDo
High ankle sprains can be tricky, and even with Coleman having finished the game in Week 2, he was still hurt enough to be placed on IR, which goes to show you just how tough he is being able to seal the deal for the Broncos.
With Dobbins and Harvey both not having an injury designation, though, those two will be back and perhaps as healthy as they can be. We don't necessarily know the severity of what Dobbins and Harvey went through, but both were able to practice in full on Thursday and Friday.
Not having Coleman will remove him from games against the Rams, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Chargers, and Seattle Seahawks, which does represent the last four games of the Broncos six-game gauntlet to begin the season.
Veteran Tyler Badie figures to get some sort of snap share while Coleman is out, as Dobbins isn't a bell-cow running back, and Harvey isn't yet a strong enough runner to be a RB1 for this team. With that said, this is where the depth of the Broncos running back room can shine, as a trio of Dobbins, Harvey, and Coleman can be quite good, and Badie does bring upside in pass protection.
While the room itself could be better, the Broncos definitely positioned themselves in a way that they should be able to weather the storm without Coleman.
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