The Broncos third-year speed rusher is back to help fill the void left by J.K. Dobbins’ injury.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Jaleel McLaughlin is no longer a sweatsuit player on Sundays, not that he ever complained about it.
“It’s been great,’’ McLaughlin said with his ever-positive attitude in an interview this week with 9NEWS for Broncos Game Day Live that will be broadcast at 9 a.m. Sunday. “I’ve seen everybody win, I’ve seen the team win. It’s been great to learn and also see how the Broncos are doing, and it’s been good.”
In his third season as a Broncos’ backup running back, McLaughlin has always been a worker, not a complainer. He’s known for coming in early and leaving late. But for most of this season, all that extra work wasn’t getting him a game-day uniform. He played in all but one game his first two seasons with the Broncos, finishing with 906 combined rushing yards and 55 catches as the team’s No. 2 back to Javonte Williams each year.
But when the Broncos signed veteran free-agent J.K. Dobbins this summer and drafted RJ Harvey in the second round, McLaughlin became the fourth man out on game day as Tyler Badie moved ahead because of his pass protection prowess.
McLaughlin was a healthy scratch in nine of the Broncos’ first 10 games – and he got just one touch for no yards in the game he did play against the Jets in London – before Dobbins went down with a Lisfranc injury after the week 10 game against the Raiders.
The closest McLaughlin came to feeling glum about his situation was the season-opener. Learning for the first time he was a healthy scratch, McLaughlin posted on his Instagram account the morning of the game against Tennessee: “Better days coming,” along with a photo of the Broncos’ empty practice fields.
He has since deleted that post. Didn’t fit with his usual optimism.
“No. 1, we’re winning,’’ McLaughlin said.
Indeed the Broncos are 9-2 with an eight-game winning streak entering play Sunday night as a strong favorite against the 3-8 Washington Commanders.
“I would say that made it easier,” he said. “I just stay focused on every single day, ‘How can I get better?’ And that’s all I did. I kept my head down and continued to keep working, and now we’re here.”
Where he is is the Broncos need him again. He had six carries for 19 yards that included a never-quit, 4-yard touchdown run in the Broncos’ previous game, a 22-19 win two weeks ago at Empower Field at Mile High against the Kansas City Chiefs.
“It felt good. I’ve got to get back into a rhythm of playing, but it felt great,’’ said McLaughlin, whom the Broncos signed in 2023 as an undrafted college free agent at Youngstown State, where he finished as the Division II all-time rushing leader. “Just awesome to be able to get in there and soak it up and play with my teammates, play with my brothers and also be able to get the craft in. It just felt amazing.’’
And he figures to get his share of touches Sunday night against a Washington defense that ranks 30th against the run. He’ll be out there wearing his “My Cause, My Cleats,” footwear that bears the name of the “American Brain Tumor Association” and his cousin Lavelle Sloan.
“It means everything to me,’’ McLaughlin said. “ My cousin, he passed away of a brain tumor. So to be able to go out there and have his name on my cleats, it’s a different meaning for me. Last year when I played, I had one of my best games against Cleveland (wearing the ‘My Cause’ cleats). So it all ties together, and I’m so happy to support my cousin Lavelle who’s passed away, who was also great and wanted to play in the National Football League. He’s here with me.”
While McLaughlin is happy to be playing again, he’s not happy about how the opportunity presented itself, which was through Dobbins’ injury that required surgery and may finish his season, even if there’s some hope he can return during the postseason.
“J.K., man, he’s a great dude,’’ McLaughlin said. “I hate that for him. He’s been playing great. It’s also been great to learn from him and see everything that he can do. How smart he is, and patient. I hate that for him, for sure.”
Understand this about McLaughlin: Just because he didn’t dress for nine of the first 10 games doesn’t mean he’s not a better running back in Year 3 than he was while playing regularly in his first two seasons. Considered a third-down, speed back type, McLaughlin has wanted to improve his ability to break tackles since he joined the league, but that’s not the only place where he feel he’s improved.
“Everywhere. I’m ready to show that,’’ he said. “I’m ready to step up and be what this team needs to win ballgames. I can’t wait. I’m excited and it feels great to be back out there.”