Denver Broncos rookie running back Jaleel McLaughlin only played 10 snaps in the team’s preseason opener last week, but he made them count.
McLaughlin (playing with his name spelled wrong on his jersey) rushed four times for 20 yards and a touchdown and caught one pass for 12 yards. The only lowlight to the running back’s (preseason) NFL debut was a fumble, but it happened near the sideline and fortunately went out of bounds.
“Overall, pretty good,” coach Sean Payton said of McLaughlin’s performance after the game. “Pretty good. He had the ball come out once on one run, but we will see it on tape. We will have a chance to correct it.”
Payton praised McLaughlin during training camp for being one of the first players to arrive at the facility each morning. The NCAA’s all-time leading rusher quickly made a good impression on coaches and teammates.
“Jaleel’s got such great burst, such great confidence,” quarterback Russell Wilson said. “He’s there early, leaves late. He’s dedicated to the game.”
Javonte Williams will serve as Denver’s starting running back this season with Samaje Perine rotating in. McLaughlin is competing with Tyler Badie and Tony Jones for the team’s third-string RB role.
The Broncos lost their preseason opener to the Arizona Cardinals 18-17 last week and while McLaughlin was happy to score, he had a good mentality after the defeat.
“It was a blessing,” the RB said of scoring in his NFL debut. “It sucks that we didn’t get the win. That is definitely something I have been working hard like that for a long time since I was a kid. Now it is kind of a surreal moment. It sucks that we didn’t get the win. It would have felt even better but, it was definitely a blessing to score a touchdown.”
McLaughlin will get another opportunity to impress when Denver travels to face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2 of preseason.
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