Jonah Coleman has arrived.

The Denver Broncos' rookie running back has only been active for four games this season. He's actually touched the ball in three of those contests and in each one, he's been a difference-maker.

In his second game since returning from injured reserve, Coleman posted a season-high 104 yards from scrimmage and scored the Broncos' go-ahead touchdown to vanquish the Kansas City Chiefs 28-24. Once again, the rookie out-earned J.K. Dobbins in snap share and touches.

Coleman has momentum, and the spark he has provided the Broncos' offense has been palpable. One play before his touchdown, late in the fourth quarter, the rookie caught a Bo Nix pass and rumbled 51 yards downfield to set the Broncos up on the 5-yard line.

JONAH COLEMAN DOWN TO THE 4

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It was a huge, explosive play that electrified the Mile High faithful at Empower Field. Suffice it to say, Broncos Country loves its rookie running back.

Broncos 'Loved' KC's Emmett Johnson in 2026 Draft

On the other side of the field, Kansas City's rookie running back also had himself a day, totaling north of 100 scrimmage yards, almost all of which came as a receiver. Johnson scored a 73-yard touchdown on a play where Patrick Mahomes beat the Broncos' blitz, lofting the ball over everyone's heads and into the rookie's hands, who then turned on the jets and rumbled to the house.

With a running back like Kenneth Walker III at the top of the depth chart, Johnson doesn't get many carries, but the Chiefs find creative ways to utilize him. The Broncos met with Johnson as a prospect, but ultimately chose to draft Coleman about a round-and-a-half before Kansas City selected the former Nebraska star.

The Broncos' interest in Johnson during draft season was public, but Payton confirmed it after Sunday's game, complimenting the running back class in the 2026 draft.

“Yes, that’s right... Emmett was one [of the running backs Denver liked]," Payton said post-game. "We just didn’t like two [running backs], but we loved Emmett."

Payton said the Broncos also liked Indiana's Kaelon Black, whom the San Francisco 49ers drafted late in the third round.

"The 49ers drafted one (Black) that we really liked," Payton said. "We felt this was a good running back draft, and I’m not even talking about those guys that went early. The kid from Indiana (Black), the player that Kansas City took, all of those guys have good tape and [are] different type runners, right? Exciting backs that are going to play a long time in this league.”

How Coleman Measures Up to Them

For what it's worth, Coleman has rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns in the four games he's been active, with nine receptions for 97 yards. Black has touched the ball in all seven of San Francisco's games, and with the 49ers on bye, he's sitting with 233 rushing yards and one touchdown, with three receptions for four yards.

Johnson has touched the ball in all seven of Kansas City's games, totaling 77 rushing yards, with 14 receptions for 237 yards and one touchdown. Coleman is on pace to obliterate the numbers of Black and Johnson, but both of those rookies are playing behind two of the best running backs in the NFL.

What's so exciting about what the future of Coleman's rookie campaign could hold is that he's become the de facto No. 1 running back in Denver. There's always the chance that Dobbins could wrest back the RB1 duties because Payton likes to ride the hot hand, but the arrow is pointing straight up for Coleman.

Coleman's football IQ and make-up are very unique for a rookie. Crediting his offensive line and teammates for helping to spur his big day and secure a tough win over the Chiefs is only the latest example of the intangible traits that drew the Broncos to him.

Coleman has already caught the clutch-time bug. He's been part of two big fourth-quarter comebacks and without his contributions in those games, including Sunday vs. the Chiefs, the Broncos don't come back to win.

Coleman's Message to Broncos Country

From the locker room after the final gun, Coleman showed his appreciation to Broncos Country and talked about the team's mindset that head coach Sean Payton helped cultivate this past week.

“Coach [Payton] said it was going to be a fourth-quarter game and it’s hard to play at [Empower Field at] Mile High when they got the crowd rocking like how they [were]," Coleman said. "Broncos Country showed up today. It helped us get that win."

Of course, without the Broncos' defense stopping Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs from racing down the field and scoring a touchdown in the closing 1:48 of the game, this one would have shaken out differently. It was another complementary win for the now 6-2 Broncos, and Coleman was thrilled to contribute to it in such a big way.

"It was good to just go out there and punch in the game winner and rely on the defense and allow them to dominate like they’ve been doing all year," Coleman said.

Bo Nix Buzzing About the Rookie

The rookie garnered rave reviews from his head coach and veteran teammates, including Nix. Like Payton, Nix complimented Coleman's explosiveness, burst, and ability to create big plays for a Broncos offense that's — let's face it — still finding its way.

“Jonah played great, ran the ball really tough. He’s explosive when he gets the football," Nix said. "He runs hard, hard to tackle, very quick to the hole and through it. I thought he did a really good job of... He just made the plays that were there. He didn’t let the moment get too big."

The rookie was even doing his part to motivate his veteran teammates and keep their eye on the prize as the fourth quarter approached.

"I just got to give a shoutout to my O-line and my teammates for keeping the confidence up the whole game," Coleman said. "The game didn’t go our way the whole entire game until the fourth quarter. I went up to all the O-linemen and the receivers and the defense [saying],  ‘It’s going to be a four-quarter game,’ like Coach [Payton] said, just to remind them it’s not over. So when the fourth quarter hit, that’s when the spark just lit up in the whole team.”

The Takeaway

With how well this kid is playing, it makes you wonder how serious the latest rumors are of Denver's interest in the running back market ahead of the NFL trade deadline, especially Jonathan Taylor in Indy. If the Broncos traded for a player like Taylor, Coleman would take a back seat, and it might affect his development.

For this reason and many others, when it comes to the rumors of Denver's interest in Taylor and other backs on the trade block, I'll believe a move when I see it. The NFL trade deadline is November 10, and the Broncos have one more game until then — a road trip next week to face the Carolina Panthers.