The Sean Payton circle of trust is a real thing, whether he would admit it or not.
The Denver Broncos' head coach has a number of players that many on the outside looking in consider to be "his guys", and Payton is bullish on his guys.
One of those players is running back Jaleel McLaughlin, who was effectively stashed on the 53-man roster last season until he was needed later in the year when JK Dobbins went down with his season-ending injury.
McLaughlin was an undrafted free agent out of Youngstown State back in the 2023 offseason, and immediately became one of the most endearing players to the coaching staff -- Payton, in particular. But now, it could be argued that the once-promising McLaughlin, who had flashes of brilliance back in his rookie season, is on the outside looking in at the Sean Payton circle of trust entering his fourth NFL season.
Jaleel McLaughlin is firmly on Denver Broncos' roster bubble before the start of OTAs
Every spot on the Denver Broncos' roster is earned, not given, so don't be surprised when rookie 4th-round pick Jonah Coleman is buried on the initial depth chart behind the likes of Jaleel McLaughlin, Tyler Badie, and even Cody Schrader. But also keep this in mind: That's how it goes every single year, and it doesn't mean anything.
The way Sean Payton plays the game, seniority always plays a role in his initial depth chart, and he makes everyone on the team literally earn their stripes. He doesn't even put the Bronco head sticker on the helmets until guys have officially made the team out of training camp.
McLaughlin knows the drill all too well. He was already behind others as an undrafted free agent in 2023, but add in the fact that he also went undrafted because of his size. He's only 5-foot-7, 187 pounds, which is rare at the running back position in today's NFL.
Still, McLaughlin showed that he belonged back in his rookie season. He racked up 570 yards from scrimmage and three total touchdowns, averaging 5.3 yards per touch overall. It looked like McLaughlin was well on his way to becoming an important weapon as the Broncos' RB2, but he took a step back in efficiency and effectiveness in his second NFL season.
He still contributed as both a runner and receiver, but it felt like much more of an uphill battle each time he got the ball. His yards per touch went down from 5.3 to 4.2, and most staggering of all -- his yards per reception dropped from 5.2 in 2023 to 3.2 in 2024.
The Broncos kept McLaughlin on the team in 2025, but seemingly just as an emergency option. He not only lost his job as the RB2 to rookie RJ Harvey, but the Broncos also gave Tyler Badie more snaps than ever before as the 3rd-down back, 2-minute back, and on special teams.
McLaughlin's clock appears to be ticking as we get into the 2026 offseason. The Broncos not only added yet another player at the position in Jonah Coleman, but they brought back Badie as well.
You can't help but feel like McLaughlin and Badie both blew a golden opportunity in the second half of last season. The injury to JK Dobbins paved the way for both of those guys to build trust with the coaching staff and actually produce for the offense, but they really couldn't do it.
From Week 11 through the Broncos' two playoff games, McLaughlin only touched the ball a total of 49 times (44 carries, 5 receptions). When the Broncos needed a jolt in the running game, and McLaughlin's number was called, it wasn't good enough for the team to stick with. The same is true of Badie.
And if they couldn't seize those roles when the team needed them the most, then one thing is clear: It's time to clean house.
You can't completely count McLaughlin out when it comes to his roster chances or the idea that he could have a strong offseason program and preseason, but he might be more likely to be on the Broncos' practice squad than their 53-man roster with the way things have been heading.
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