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Broncos Bite the Jonah Coleman Bullet—What it Really Means

Sep 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos running back Jonah Coleman (20) celebrates on the field after defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars at Empower Field at Mile High. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Broncos Bite the Jonah Coleman Bullet—What it Really Means

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Chad Jensen | Last updated Sep 26, 2026 5:40 PM ET

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The Denver Broncos made a flurry of roster moves on Saturday, ahead of their Sunday Night Football tilt against the Los Angeles Rams.

First, the Broncos placed rookie running back Jonah Coleman on injured reserve, per the NFL wire, and promoted long snapper Mitchell Fraboni from the practice squad to the active roster. Fraboni had spent the first two weeks of the season on the practice squad and was elevated in each of the Broncos' two games thus far.

With Fraboni now on the 53-man roster, the Broncos also elevated fullback Adam Prentice and rookie wide receiver/returner Kolbe Katsis to the Week 3 game-day roster.

This is Prentice's third elevation of the season, which means that after Sunday's game, the Broncos will either have to sign him to the active roster, like Fraboni just was, or waive him; the fullback would have to pass through the waiver wire unclaimed before Denver could then re-sign him to the practice squad.

With Marvin Mims Jr. listed as questionable for Sunday night with the same foot injury that kept him out of Week 2, the Broncos will at least have Katsis available to return punts and kickoffs. If Mims is able to play against the Rams, it will give Denver two potent returners on kickoffs, and the coaches can decide whether to expose Mims to punt returns if he's still not quite 100%.

What it Means for Coleman

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fortunately, it's not a season-ending injury for Coleman. He suffered an ankle sprain in the Broncos' Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, and it happened early in the game.

The rookie stayed in the fight, though, and after J.K. Dobbins suffered a hip injury and did not return in the second half, Coleman carried the rushing load for the Broncos' offense. Coleman scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter — the first of his career — and made several key runs at the end of the game to ice things in Denver's favor.

Coleman will have to spend at least four games on injured reserve before he can be activated. That gives him time to recover from the ankle and it gives the team time to clarify some of its roster math.

If the Broncos didn't need a roster spot for Fraboni, whose practice squad elevations would have been maxed out after Sunday's game, Coleman might not have landed on short-term IR. But since the rookie was injured, it was a matter of convenience for the team, and it's not the last decision Denver faces over the next few days.

The Broncos are unlikely to risk exposing Prentice to waivers, which means someone will have to go from the 53-man roster on Monday. The top candidates are safety Tycen Anderson and wide receiver Lil'Jordan Humphrey.

But once Coleman heals up and his four weeks have passed, the Broncos will have to waive someone to make room for him on the 53-man roster. And they're going to need him.

The Takeaway

Placing Coleman on short-term IR is a bit of a gamble, given that both Dobbins and RJ Harvey have already missed time this season with injuries. Both veterans are healthy entering Week 3, but fans can only hope they stay out of the injury bug's crosshairs between now and Week 7, when Coleman will be eligible to return.

As for Fraboni, it was only a matter of time before Denver had to bite the bullet and sign him to the active roster. Every team needs a kicker, a punter, and a long snapper, and the new practice-squad elevation rules are great, but they're limiting.

Look for Prentice to join the active squad early next week, and in the meantime, let's see whether Katsis can showcase that dynamic returner ability against the Rams that he did in training camp and the preseason.