Sometimes, when it comes to the preseason, not playing sends the biggest message.
Denver Broncos rookie running back Jonah Coleman appeared to get that message loud and clear from the coaching staff by being held out of Friday’s preseason finale against the Minnesota Vikings — a sure sign there is a bigger plan for him in the offense moving forward.
The biggest clue Coleman wasn’t playing as he signed autographs for fans at Empower Field at Mile High shortly before the game and was confirmed as Coleman and fellow running backs J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey all came out in workout gear to watch the game and not play in it.
“If Jonah Coleman does not play tonight, that’s another MASSIVE endorsement from the Broncos’ coaching staff,” DNVR’s Zac Stevens wrote on his official X account on Friday. “With J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey in the room, they could easily play Coleman and no one would think anything of it. The fact that they held him out … man, they love him.”
It wasn’t the 1st time the Broncos coaching staff has expressed their satisfaction with Coleman; head coach Sean Payton decided to pull Coleman after 1 series against the Atlanta Falcons in the preseason opener. It was 1 series in which Coleman had 4 carries for 24 yards.
“I didn’t need to see additional evidence of what I’ve been seeing for 3 weeks,” Payton said after the game when asked about why Coleman only played 1 series.
Coleman Called NFL’s ‘Most Overlooked’ Rookie
Coleman, 5-foot-8 and 220 pounds, has done nothing but impress since the Broncos drafted him in the 4th round (No. 108 overall) out of the University of Washington.
“Broncos with their No. 108 overall draft pick in the 4th round take RB Jonah Coleman, Washington,” Broncos reporter Mike Klis wrote on his official X account on April 25.
“Broncos’ new RB Jonah Coleman can do it all,” Stevens wrote. “Last two years at Washington, he racked up 1,811 rushing yards and 531 receiving yards with a whopping 27 total TDs … Broncos RB room: J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, Jonah Coleman, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Tyler Badie.”
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport put Coleman at the top of his list of the NFL’s “Most Overlooked” rookies following the draft.
“The Broncos re-upped J.K. Dobbins in the offseason after he averaged five yards a carry in his first season in the Mile High City, but he also missed seven games for the fourth time in six seasons,” Davenport wrote on July 16. “Harvey showed some flashes as a rookie, especially as a receiver out of the backfield, but he also averaged just 3.7 yards per carry. At the very least, Coleman is going to be used to spell Dobbins in an effort to keep him healthy. It’s not especially difficult to imagine Coleman eating into Harvey’s share of the backfield workload. And if Dobbins goes down (again), Coleman could go from Day 3 rookie to the lead back for a Super Bowl contender.”
Jonah Coleman Compared to Former NFL Star
Coleman, 5-foot-8 and 220 pounds, drew pre-draft comparisons to former NFL star running back Maurice Jones-Drew — a 5-foot-7, 210-pound NFL All-Pro and 3-time Pro Bowler.
“Jonah Coleman was being compared to Maurice Jones-Drew during the pre-draft process,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account. “Legit bowling ball very tough to bring down.”
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein correctly predicted Coleman would be a 4th round pick.
Coleman started his college career with 2 seasons at Arizona before transferring to Washington for his final 2 seasons.
“Team captain and productive three-down back,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “Coleman has a clear understanding of run-blocking schemes and protection duties. He knows where blocks are likely to develop and finds those spots. However, he lacks speed as an outside runner and has average burst between the tackles. He’s more of a tackle-slipper than a tackle-breaker, so it’s imperative that Coleman plays at a brisker pace to stay ahead of closing defenders. He projects as a Day 3 option who can compete for a job as a three-down backup.”
Broncos Rookie Gets ‘Massive Endorsement’ From Coaching Staff