Running Back · Denver Broncos

Jaleel McLaughlin

No. 38 · 4th season

Someone new joined the backfield, and McLaughlin's spot just got smaller

There is a moment every player feels before anyone says it out loud. A new name shows up on the depth chart, and the math quietly changes.

McLaughlin built his place in Denver the hard way. He came in without much fanfare and made himself useful enough that the team kept leaning on him. That kind of trust takes time to earn.

But 2025 has been a quieter year for him on the field, and the Denver Broncos have now added another running back to the mix. Neither of those things alone would be a alarm. Together, they are worth watching.

For a player whose hold on the roster has never been ironclad, production dips and new competition are not separate problems. They are the same one. The Broncos are figuring out who their backfield looks like going forward, and McLaughlin is in the middle of that conversation whether he wants to be or not.

The next few weeks will say more than anything either side could announce.

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