The Denver Broncos took a notable step toward restoring depth in their backfield on Wednesday when they designated rookie running back Jonah Coleman to return from injured reserve, the team announced.
The move opens a 21-day window in which the team can activate him to the 53-man roster. If that happens, Coleman would be eligible to play as soon as Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals.
Should the club decline to activate him within the three-week period, he would remain on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
Coleman, 23, arrived in Denver after a winding college path. He began his career at Arizona before transferring to Washington in 2024 to reunite with head coach Jedd Fisch.
Over two seasons with the Huskies, he started and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors in 2024.
Across his four-year collegiate career, he carried the ball 522 times for 2,939 yards and 32 touchdowns while also catching 83 passes for 800 yards and three more scores.
The Broncos selected him with the 111th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft and signed him to a four-year rookie contract worth roughly $5.48 million that includes a signing bonus of more than $1.23 million.
His professional debut was brief but productive. Coleman appeared in the Broncos’ first two games, rushing 10 times for 39 yards and a touchdown while adding three receptions for 19 yards.
Much of that production came in the Week 2 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, a contest in which he led the team in rushing yards, scored his first NFL touchdown, and played more than 40 percent of the offensive snaps.
He even contributed 33 yards on Denver’s final drive to help secure the win. Coleman suffered an ankle injury during that game, however, and the Broncos placed him on injured reserve ahead of Week 3.
Under league rules, he was required to miss a minimum of four games before becoming eligible for the return designation he received this week.
The timing is useful for Denver. With veteran running back Tyler Badie recently dealing with a thumb injury, the return of the 5-foot-8, 220-pound Coleman would give the Broncos another option behind established backs J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey.
Coleman practiced on Wednesday, and the organization will now evaluate his readiness over the coming days and weeks.
While he could theoretically suit up against the Cardinals, the club may prefer additional practice time before fully integrating him.
Either way, the designation marks a meaningful development for a rookie who showed early flashes before the injury interrupted his season.
