Broncos Make Telling Jonah Coleman Decision With Chiefs Inactives

The Denver Broncos are at Arrowhead Stadium, preparing for a season-opening throwdown with the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.

The Broncos have released their list of inactive players for Week 1.

Sam Ehlinger | QB
Tyler Badie | RB
Kage Casey | OL
Dallen Bentley | TE
Jordan Jackson | DL
Tyler Onydedim | DL

👀 our inactives for #DENvsKC.

📰 » https://t.co/vMxpvG8tqJ pic.twitter.com/FhhAmjK1uR
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 14, 2026

What it Means

Jonah Coleman. — Jonah Coleman breaks a tackle. | Hector Acevedo / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Four of Denver's rookie draft picks made the initial roster out of camp, but three of them won't dress tonight. Fourth-round running back Jonah Coleman will be the only active rookie against the Chiefs, which comes at the expense of Badie.

There were questions swirling about whether the Broncos would opt to dress Coleman or Badie, because never will a team keep four running backs active. That's especially true with the Broncos tonight, as they also elevated fullback Adam Prentice from the practice squad.

Congrats to Coleman, who fans can expect to see in action against the Chiefs. The Broncos would dress the rookie if they didn't have plans to use him, especially with all the ways Badie can contribute, including on special teams as a returner, a gunner, and as a punt protector.

All five of Denver's safeties will be active, which is interesting. Those numbers come at the expense of the defensive line, with two trenchmen being inactive.

It's very interesting to note that the Broncos are dressing Sai'vion Jones over Jackson or Onyedim, especially after the relatively lackluster summer he had. Obviously, the internal view of Jones is much more bullish than the external.

Jones can rush the passer from the inside, and the Broncos can use that tonight against Patrick Mahomes. However, both Jackson and Onyedim are superior run defenders, so fans can only hope that Denver is able to bottle up Kenneth Walker III.

Casey ends up being the only offensive line healthy scratch. Alex Forsyth, Matt Peart, and Alex Palczewski will serve as depth up front on Monday night.

Bentley will sit for his first-ever NFL game, and that's probably just how it'll shake out for the rookie until and unless a veteran ahead of him on the depth chart gets banged up. The Broncos are very high on Bentley, but he's got a lot to learn still.

Ehlinger is listed as inactive, but since he's on the roster, he can actually dress as the emergency quarterback, and not count toward the active roster math. That's a relatively new wrinkle of the NFL, and it likely had much to do with Denver's strategy behind rostering three quarterbacks.

Chiefs' Inactives

Here's a look at Kansas City's inactives, several of whom are banged up, including starting left tackle Josh Simmons and first-team safety Chamarri Conner.

Our inactives for tonight's MNF matchup against the Denver Broncos ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/LsdSlqiN9a
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) September 14, 2026

The Takeaway

Other than Coleman getting to dress in Week 1, what we learned is that Jones has taken priority on the defensive line. That might not be an absolute, but at the very least, the Broncos like what he can bring to the table in this crucial matchup with the Chiefs more than Jackson or Onyedim.

Kickoff is at 6:15 MDT. It's almost go time.

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