Denver RB Jonah Coleman Nominated for NFL Rookie of the Week After Week 8 Win vs. Chiefs

Denver Broncos running back Jonah Coleman has been nominated for the Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week award after posting a career-high 104 scrimmage yards and scoring the game-winning touchdown in Denver’s 28-24 Week 8 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, denverbroncos.com reported.

With Harvey sidelined on injured reserve, Coleman scored the game-winning touchdown in a Week 8 divisional victory over the Chiefs at Mile High.

Who should be the @pepsi Rookie of the Week for Week 8? Vote in the poll below! ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/HkCnJJwtaO

— https://x.com/NFL/status/2117642039877587301

A Career Night Built on Explosive Plays

Coleman rushed for 41 yards on the ground and added four receptions for 63 yards through the air in the victory, according to denverbroncos.com. His signature moment came late in the fourth quarter when he broke free for a long catch-and-run that set up his 5-yard rushing touchdown on the very next play, giving the Broncos a lead they would never relinquish in the 28-24 final.

The two accounts differ by one yard on that reception: denverbroncos.com described it as a 51-yard catch-and-run, while broncoswire.usatoday.com reported it as a 52-yard screen pass that came immediately after Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker missed a field goal, keeping the score at 24-21 ahead of the two-minute warning. Both sources agree the reception occurred ahead of the two-minute warning and directly preceded Coleman’s go-ahead score, which ended up being the final points of the game.

Jonah Coleman Week 8 Highlights vs Chiefs | Every Play

The outburst made Coleman the first Broncos skill player to post at least 100 scrimmage yards since Jaylen Waddle accomplished the feat in Week 2, denverbroncos.com noted. In his two games since returning from injured reserve, the rookie has averaged north of 6.3 yards per touch, including a 6.9-yard average specifically against Kansas City.

“He Just Made the Plays That Were There”

Quarterback Bo Nix praised his backfield mate following Sunday’s win, emphasizing the physicality and reliability Coleman brought to the divisional clash.

“Jonah played great, ran the ball really tough,” Nix said, according to denverbroncos.com. “He’s explosive when he gets the football. He runs hard, hard to tackle, very quick to the hole and through it. … He just made the plays that were there.”

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Coleman, for his part, deflected the individual acclaim toward his faith and teammates, telling reporters after the game that the victory belonged to the collective effort of the entire squad.

“First, I just want to give glory to God, giving us this opportunity to come out here and play the game we love,” Coleman said, according to broncoswire.usatoday.com. “It was just all about going hard for one another. Coach [Sean Payton] said it was going to be a fourth-quarter game and it’s hard to play at Mile High when they got the crowd rocking like how they [were]. Broncos Country showed up today. It helped us get that win. 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.”

The running back also credited his offensive line and fellow skill players for maintaining confidence throughout a contest that didn’t break Denver’s way until the final stanza.

“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,” Coleman added, per broncoswire.usatoday.com. “So when the fourth quarter hit, that’s when the spark just lit up in the whole team.”

Broncos 28, Chiefs 24: Jonah Coleman Breaks Out, Emmett Johnson's 128

Coleman described the emotions of his career-high afternoon as “all over the place,” adding that he gave a shoutout to his offensive line and teammates for keeping the confidence up throughout the entire game even when things weren’t going Denver’s way until the fourth quarter.

Familiar Territory in the Rookie of the Week Race

This is Coleman’s second nomination of the 2026 season; he was previously recognized following Denver’s Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, denverbroncos.com reported. He will now look to become the first Broncos rookie since running back RJ Harvey — who won the award in Week 8 of the 2025 season — to actually earn the honor.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos Game Highlights | NFL 2026 Season Week 8

Coleman faces competition from three other first-year players for this week’s award: Kansas City’s Emmett Johnson, Las Vegas’ Mike Washington Jr., and Los Angeles’ Wesley Bailey, according to denverbroncos.com. Fans can cast their votes for Coleman on the NFL’s official X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram pages.

The running back’s rapid ascent comes just two weeks after he returned from injured reserve due to a high ankle sprain that had sidelined him for Weeks 3 through 6, broncoswire.usatoday.com noted. Denver selected Coleman in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL draft back in April, and he has quickly become a fan favorite after previously calling the Broncos the “highlight” of his pre-draft process when discussing which team he hoped to join.

4TH & GOAL… EVERYTHING ON THE LINE! | Chiefs vs Broncos Week 8 Ending

Fan Votes Decide Rookie Award Chances

Coleman’s performance against Kansas City suggests he may take an even larger share of the workload from veteran J.K. Dobbins while Harvey remains on injured reserve, broncoswire.usatoday.com reported. With the Broncos victorious over their division rivals and Coleman nominated for NFL Rookie of the Week, the team looks to build on its Week 8 success.

Whether Coleman can convert this second nomination into his first career Rookie of the Week award will be determined by fan voting, but his fourth-quarter touchdown against the Chiefs earned him the nomination.