Jonah Coleman returns to roster, Jonah Elliss heads to IR amid flurry of Broncos moves

PHOENIX — It’s official: The Broncos will have Jonah Coleman at their disposal for Sunday.

Listed as questionable on the Friday injury report after three days of full participation in practice, the rookie running back was activated from injured reserve on Saturday, giving the Broncos another power-running option that they haven’t had since he wore down the Jacksonville Jaguars during the fourth quarter of Denver’s Week 2 win.

Also officially moving back onto the 53-player roster is edge rusher Jonathon Cooper, who practiced all week after being removed from the Commissioner’s Exempt List following a six-week stint that resulted from his two arrests in June on domestic-violence charges.

Cooper was given the green light to return on Oct. 16, days after his trial dates were set for March 2-4. Cooper was also given a travel exemption by the Douglas County Court to join the Broncos on their road trips.

The returns of both Coleman and Cooper are timely, as the corresponding moves are at both of their positions, with edge rusher Jonah Elliss and running back Tyler Badie both heading to injured reserve.

Badie suffered a thumb injury in the first half of the Broncos’ Oct. 15 overtime win over Seattle. Elliss succumbed near the end of regulation in that game, hobbling off the field with a right-ankle injury. Two days later, Elliss was seen at the CU-Utah football game in crutches and wearing a boot on his right foot and ankle.

Unfortunately for Elliss, injuries have been a significant part of his NFL journey to date. After playing all 18 games — including postseason — as a rookie, he underwent surgery during the 2025 offseason after suffering a fractured scapula early in the Broncos’ wild-card loss at Buffalo that January. He missed four games during the 2025 regular season because of issues with his ribs, shoulder and hamstring.

Now he will miss at least four games for the second-consecutive season.

HOW MUCH WILL THE BRONCOS USE COLEMAN AND COOPER AGAINST THE CARDINALS

Cooper could be on a pitch count in his first game back after missing the last six contests.

“It’s just getting acclimated, and then if that’s the case, what’s the pitch count?” Payton said Monday. “All those things as you come back in.”

Elliss’ absence and a potentially limited number of repetitions for Cooper would likely mean extra work for rotational edge rushers Que Robinson and Dondrea Tillman. Each of them has four quarterback hits so far this season, with Robinson recording a pair of sacks.

With Coleman, a cap on repetitions if needed so he can work his way back into form could work itself out naturally, given the presences of J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey.

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