The Denver Bronco's rushing offense ranks 26th in the NFL, averaging a paltry 84.2 yard per game. Granted, the Broncos have faced some top-tier defensive fronts in each of their six games thus far, but their rushing production has been nowhere near good enough.

With the schedule opening up now, there's a chance that the combined efforts of J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, which, again, have been lackluster thus far, could suddenly kick into high gear. But Dobbins doesn't seem to have the same burst he did last year, and the Broncos are reluctant to lean on Harvey much as a between-the-tackles runner.

Thankfully, Jonah Coleman is about to rejoin the Broncos' backfield, and his return from injured reserve could be the spark this run game needs to get up off the mat. The rookie hit injured reserve with an ankle injury after his Week 2 debut at Mile High — a victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars that Coleman helped seal with a touchdown and some tough running to close out the game.

The Broncos started Coleman's clock to return from IR this week, and he's been a full participant in practice each day. On Friday, offensive coordinator Davis Webb talked about Coleman's return and what the rookie brings to the table.

"First of all, he's very smart. He's handled the playbook very quickly from day one, rookie minicamp on," Webb said.

Football IQ Displayed in Living Color

We've heard a lot about Coleman's football IQ and makeup since the Broncos drafted him in the fourth round. Head coach Sean Payton often says, "You don't feel a rookie," when asked about Coleman.

This carry at the end of the Jaguars game showcases Coleman's football smarts and presence of mind, avoiding the sideline to keep the clock ticking.

Jonah Coleman with a heads up play to stay in bounds and go down after picking up the first. pic.twitter.com/b3rjBgmChq

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 20, 2026

He's only touched the ball in one game as a pro, but Coleman was impressive in that Week 2 game, and we know he was playing hurt late when he busted off a pair of 12-yard runs to move the chains, kill the clock, and ice the victory for Denver.

"Every time he's gotten an opportunity, whether that be in a regular-season game, obviously the Jacksonville Jaguars game sticks out, the Atlanta Falcons game in the preseason sticks out," Webb said of Coleman. "So we're excited to get him back into the fold. I think the last couple weeks, our whole running back room is kind of slowly going up, turning in the right direction."

I believe Webb that the Broncos' ground game is trending upward, if for no other reason than Coleman's return. There are other signs of life, including Dobbins's running in the first half last week against the Seattle Seahawks and his late-game performance the week prior against the Los Angeles Chargers.

As in all things offense for the Broncos, though, the consistency just hasn't been there. We would be remiss to pin this run game's hopes solely on the return of a still-untested rookie, but including Coleman in the mix with Dobbins, sprinkled here and there with the odd Harvey carry, is the most substantial reason for hope this rushing offense has had in weeks.

When the Broncos officially activate Coleman, they'll have to make a corresponding roster cut. It's looking like that player could be fellow running back Tyler Badie, who suffered a thumb injury early in Week 6's game and never returned.

Badie has not practiced all week, and if the Broncos expect him to miss more than one or two games, they might opt to just bite the bullet and put him on IR. That would open up a spot for Coleman, and give Badie plenty of time to heal up. Either that, or the Broncos will have to cut a player at another position.

The rookie Jonah Coleman gives the Broncos a fourth quarter lead 🐴

JAXvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/wpnL52qLn8

— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2026

The Takeaway

The Broncos will travel to take on the Arizona Cardinals this week, whose rushing defense ranks 20th in the NFL. Arizona is allowing 120.8 yards per game on the ground, giving the Broncos a great opportunity to establish the run and keep the chains moving.

When it comes to things Payton likes to say, let's also not forget his comment about the quarterback position being the hardest to play without a running game. The Broncos had three extra days of preparation over their "mini-bye," and for the first time this season, they're not playing a battle-tested, playoff-caliber front seven.

The Broncos believe they have the horses in the running back room to field a competitive run game. We haven't seen much of one yet, but that initial six-game gauntlet of opponents was brutal and unprecedented in modern Broncos canon.

“We think it’s a deep room and a talented room," Payton said on Wednesday of the running backs. "So all those things are a positive.”

This is the week for a Bo Nix breakout. And that starts with a productive run game on the road at State Farm Stadium.