If you were waiting to buy your ticket for the Jonah Coleman hype train, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but the train has not only left the station; It's a runaway freight train that just kicked into another gear. The hype for the Denver Broncos' stud rookie running back just keeps growing.
Coleman looked fantastic in the preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons, carrying the ball a total of four times for 24 yards (6.0 YPC), including a 13-yard run that has just about everyone in Broncos Country talking this week.
The Broncos have been starved for a running game, especially since JK Dobbins went down with an injury in Week 10 of last season. Coleman has been everything the team could have possibly hoped for at this point, and may already be exceeding expectations.
Sean Payton was the initial conductor of the hype train when he mentioned that the Broncos pulled Coleman pretty early for a rookie in his first preseason action, due to the fact that they didn't feel like he needed to show them anymore. Offensive coordinator Davis Webb got the chance to speak with the media, and he took the baton from Payton to keep the train chugging along.
It only took one run to convince Broncos OC Davis Webb that Jonah Coleman has the goods
Davis Webb said they saw the 13-yard run from Jonah Coleman in the preseason game and on the headset everybody said “we’re good.” pic.twitter.com/Dzo1CNPzod
— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) August 18, 2026
"I think after that one run, we all said on the headset, 'We're good.' He did what we needed him to do."
- Broncos OC Davis Webb (via team PR)
Coleman showed the Broncos' staff in just a handful of snaps (and only four carries) that they didn't need to see any more than that. It's important to remember that this was his first game action ever at the NFL level, and his first exposure to an NFL game at all, whether as a player or spectator.
Sean Payton has said on multiple occasions that you don't "feel" a rookie with Coleman, who exudes a maturity beyond his years. The fact that the Broncos pulled him as quickly as they did from his first-ever preseason game is indicative of something else: Coleman is proving himself during practices.
If the Broncos are limiting Coleman to just 14 snaps in his preseason debut, then he's obviously answering any of their questions during practice. The way Broncos coaches have been talking about Coleman since that preseason game almost makes it seem like they expected what they saw against the Falcons, and were planning on pulling him as soon as he made one big play.
Why does this matter? Isn't Coleman the third-string running back behind JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey for the moment?
Those are valid points at this juncture, but we saw how detrimental not having a running game was for the Broncos last season, especially down the stretch. The Broncos were in so many one-score games last year, and one of the things they're trying to do in 2026, while still being effective situationally, is increasing the margin of victory. Instead of trying to win just as many one-score games, why not simply win by more points and not be in as many one-score games?
The running game having consistent success over an 18-week season is going to help with that tremendously.
Coleman is obviously a huge part of the equation. He's also the Broncos' insurance in case Dobbins deals with any injuries again this season, another big question that had to be answered going into this offseason.
Because of the fact that the running back class was underwhelming to the consensus, Coleman's draft stock slipped from what could have been a 2nd-3rd round value based on his production and skill set to a 4th-round pick. The rest of the NFL's apparent whiff was the Broncos' gain.
Coleman is the perfect culture and stylistic fit for this Denver team, and he has quickly given the fan base reasons for optimism that the running game can be resurrected in 2026.
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