The Denver Broncos still haven't added any playmakers, and they continued that trend by re-signing Jaleel McLaughlin.
The Denver Broncos continued their “stay the course” approach to free agency and trades so far, re-signing backup running back Jaleel McLaughlin to a one-year deal for $1.145 million, according to Luca Evans of the Denver Post.
The deal also includes a signing bonus of $125,000, Evans added, and it means that the Broncos are bringing back every member of the their backfield from last season, despite the frequent inconsistency of the Denver run game.
Evans described McLaughlin’s 2025 season as “rocky,” based on the fact that he was active for just one game in the first half of the season, with coach Sean Payton often turning to Tyler Badie instead.
“I mean, it’s a tough decision, because Jaleel’s such a good player,” ex-offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said in early September. “I think most of it was just third-down protection, and just, (Badie’s) a little stouter in there. But it’s hard not to have Jaleel up there on gameday.”
McLaughlin made a comeback in the second half of the season, though, and he became one of Denver’s most productive skill players on a per-touch basis, according to Evans, running for 219 yards and a touchdown in 44 carries.
The running back joined the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Youngstown State in 2023, but with that background he’s struggled to get touches. His totals for the last three years include 1,048 yards with a yards per carry average of 4.8, but despite that average the Broncos basically consider him a change-of-pace back.
Despite the retention to date, it’s unlikely that the Broncos will make it through training camp with the same running back group. The fan base has been howling for playmakers, but no moves have been made at all to date.
Payton has expressed a desire to run more with quarterback Bo Nix under center, but now new offensive coordinator Davis Webb will be calling plays (we think), so no one knows quite how that will look going forward. Most of the puzzle pieces have fallen into place, but there are still some obvious moves to be made.
The new look may include one of several possible running back adds through the draft, as Evans noted. The names he mentioned were Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price, Washington’s Jonah Coleman, Nebraska’s Emmett Johnson and Arkansas’ Mike Washington Jr., and all could find themselves in Denver, even though the Broncos are handicapped here to some extent by their late drafting position.