Denver Broncos, Briefly: Trade for Jonathan Taylor? Jonah Coleman, Patrick Surtain Return
Should the Broncos trade for Jonathan Taylor? Or should they lean on their rookie Jonah Coleman, who returned to practice on Wednesday?
Should the Denver Broncos trade for Jonathan Taylor?
They desperately need help in the backfield, and if they agree their Super Bowl window is open, they should be all-in.
Meanwhile, Jonah Coleman could be back this week in Arizona, lessening that need for life in the backfield.
And Patrick Surtain is back at practice, too.
Should the Denver Broncos Trade for Jonathan Taylor?
Much like the Kansas City Chiefs until they signed Kenneth Walker III this offseason, the Denver Broncos haven't had a dominant running back in forever.
Their last 1,000-yard back was Phillip Lindsay in 2019. Lead backs since Lindsay have been Melvin Gordon, Javonte Williams, and most recently J.K. Dobbins.
Under Sean Payton, a running back by committee approach has prevailed. That's how he liked it in New Orleans, too. Although Alvin Kamara forced Payton to play him more than Mark Ingram and Latavius Murray, among others.
Still, Payton's offense flourished with Kamara in the backfield.
Would it do the same with Taylor behind the Broncos offensive line?
The Colts just fired GM Chris Ballard leaving many to wonder if the team will go into fire sale mode. If so, that could put Taylor on the trade block.
Kay Adams and James Palmer mentioned the Broncos as potential suitors for Taylor on Monday.
Is Jonathan Taylor available?@Broncos, pick up the phone ☎️@JamesPalmerTV | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/NJYY14NSpK
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) October 19, 2026
But do the Broncos have enough draft capital to trade for Taylor?
Indianapolis could ask for a first-round pick, which is what Denver sent to Miami for Jaylen Waddle. That left George Paton and Sean Payton without a first-round pick in this year's draft, but everyone agreed Waddle was worth more than the player they would've had at No. 30 in April.
Still, would Denver be willing to trade another first (or possibly second-round pick) for another veteran player? Waddle hasn't been all that was hoped. Though, play-calling issues and Bo Nix's checkdown issues have been the reason, not Waddle.
If the Broncos traded for Taylor, he'd be owed $16M this year, $21M in 2027 and $28M in 2028. Denver has salary cap issues looming already for 2027, and Nix's potential mega-deal soon too if he proves he's the QB of the future.
If I had to guess, I'd say the Broncos won't trade for Taylor. But I'd be happy to be wrong.
Then again, maybe the Broncos don't need to trade for Jonathan Taylor.
Jonah Coleman is Back at Broncos Practice
Denver's invested at running back the last two drafts, with RJ Harvey in the second round in 2024 and then Coleman in the fourth round this year.
And in limited time, Coleman has looked like the team's best back this year so far.
Unfortunately, he was injured in Week 2 against Jacksonville and went on the IR.
He's now been designated to return and did return to practice on Wednesday.
Coleman is trending in the right direction to play this week, and if not against the Cardinals in Arizona, it seems even more likely he'll be good to go against the Chiefs next Sunday at Mile High.
Coleman had 10 carries for 39 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Jags. Not only was his score the game-winner, but Coleman was counted on to run the ball in the game-sealing fourth quarter drive that kept the ball away from Jacksonville.
Denver's rushing offense stinks this year. Their 3.4 yards per carry is 30th, with only the Raiders and Packers being worse on a down-to-down basis right now. Not only that, Dobbins' success rate (38.3%) is second-worst among all qualified backs. So, Coleman's been desperately needed and will be welcomed when he's finally back.
One reason the run game is down is the Broncos offensive line hasn't been opening holes like they did last year. They're currently 21st in Run Block Win Rate per ESPN (72%).
Luckily, the Cardinals are 20th against the run and allow 4.4 yards per carry. This Sunday presents a chance for Denver to run well.
Rich Kurtzman
Pat Surtain Also Returns
Surtain also returned to practice on Wednesday.
It goes without saying; Surtain returning to the defense is a massive improvement. So will be Jonathon Cooper, who's eligible to play this week, even if it will be hard to root for Cooper.
Rich Kurtzman
Surtain is the best cornerback in the NFL and the best defender on the Broncos. He regularly shuts down the opposing No. 1 guy.
But he injured his ankle in the loss to the 49ers on a non-contact play. He's been out since Week 4 and is working his way back into the lineup.
Like Coleman, if he can't go this week he will almost certainly be good to go vs. Kansas City, which is looking like a must-win for the Broncos if they still want to win the AFC West.
This week, Denver (4-2) faces the Cardinals (2-4) in Arizona with a 2:05 p.m. MT kickoff this Sunday afternoon.
The Broncos look to put together back-to-back wins after narrowly defeating the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football. Meanwhile the Cards knocked off the Rams 18-16 last week and won't be a pushover.
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Rich Kurtzman was born and raised in Denver Colorado and attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins in the aughts. He's been a professional writer since 2011, covering Colorado State football and men's basketball, as well as the Denver Broncos, for many outlets. Current Denver Broncos work can be found on Mile High Sports. Previous credits include CBS Denver and The USA TODAY Sports Media Group.
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