Javonte Williams Sounds Off on Expected Return for Broncos

Getty Running back Javonte Williams #33 of the Denver Broncos warms up before the NFL game at Allegiant Stadium on October 02, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 32-23. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams sounds optimistic about his chances of getting cleared before the start of training camp on July 25.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Williams spoke with reporters during the football camp he co-hosted with Broncos teammates Pat Surtain II on July 9 and spoke about his recovery from the torn ACL that he sustained during Week 4 of the 2022 season. He confirmed “the plan” is for him to be medically cleared in time for the start of camp.

“I mean, that’s the plan,” Williams said, via Schefter. “I feel like I’m ready to go.”

Williams was injured on the first play of the third quarter during the Broncos’ road loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on October 2 and was confirmed to be lost for the remainder of the season on the following day, cutting short the All-Rookie back’s second season. Without him, the Broncos were forced to lean on Latavius Murray and Melvin Gordon — two rushers who were near or beyond 30 years old — for the majority of the year.

While the Broncos added former Cincinnati Bengals backup Samaje Perine in free agency to boost their backfield rotation for the 2023 season, Williams remains the central piece of the unit and figures to be a major asset for Denver’s offense under new head coach Sean Payton — so long as he returns to form once he is cleared to play again.

“It’s just all about the evaluation, how the Broncos feel about it,” Williams said. “Just seeing how I feel, moving, just trying to get my speed back to normal, things like that.”

Can Javonte Williams Bounce Back to Rookie Form?

Williams looked like a star in the making for the Broncos coming off his rookie season. While he had been asked to split carries near-evenly with Gordon and delivered similar production on the ground, Williams proved to be the more fearsome back with several tackle-shedding runs along the way to 903 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.

According to Pro Football Focus, Williams finished with the third-most rushing yards among all rookie backs in 2021, finishing behind only Najee Harris (1,229) and Elijah Mitchell (1,132) and gaining more than 76% of those yards after contract (694). He also finished with the most missed tackles forced (63) and second-most receptions (43) among the rookies, earning him recognition on the PFWA’s 2021 All-Rookie team.

Can Williams regain his rookie form, though, coming off a significant knee injury?

Looking around the league at other running backs who have torn their ACL, it is difficult to project exactly how Williams’ body will respond after he has recovered. Saquon Barkley is coming off one of the finest seasons of his career in 2022 just two years removed from his ACL tear, but he averaged just 3.7 yards per carry and 45.3 yards per game over his 13 appearances in 2021, his first year back from the injury.

J.K. Dobbins is another worrying case. Like Williams, he had a standout rookie season in 2020 (805 rushing yards, nine touchdowns) but tore his ACL toward the end of his second training camp with the Baltimore Ravens, missing the entire 2021 season. He then struggled to return to the field in a full capacity the following year, playing in four of the first six games before undergoing a clean-up procedure on his knee that kept him sidelined until Week 14. He did deliver back-to-back 120-yard games upon his return, but it was still a concerning situation for the team counting on his regular presence.

Now, Williams could buck the trend of needing a work-back season, but there is always the danger for that to backfire on the Broncos if they don’t sort out their backup plans.

Will Broncos Add Another RB to Room Before Camp?

Even with Williams eyeing a training-camp return, the Broncos still have options for potentially adding another formidable rusher to their backfield in the coming weeks.

Dalvin Cook is the biggest and flashiest name on the market. The former Minnesota Vikings standout has rushed for more than 1,100 yards in each of the last four seasons and made the Pro Bowl in each one of them. The only reason the Vikings released him was that his cap hit had risen to an exorbitant level, which would not be a problem for the Broncos as they would be able to negotiate a new contract with him.

It is possible, of course, that Cook wants more money than the Broncos are willing to pay at this point. According to Over the Cap, they have about $8.8 million in cap space and still have a few expenses to address (practice squad, etc.) before the start of the season. If another team makes a strong bid for Cook, Denver could be out of luck.

The Broncos could also consider a short-term investment in either Ezekiel Elliott or Leonard Fournette. Neither back was at his best in 2022, but both could make for fine, proven additions to Denver’s backfield to hedge their bets with Williams’ injury return.