The Denver Broncos let Javonte Williams leave in free agency, and he's making them regret that move. However...
It was time for the Broncos to move on from Javonte Williams. After his brutal season-ending knee injury back in the 2022 NFL Season, Williams was simply ineffective for Denver in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, as he averaged fewer than four yards per carry in each campaign.
Denver's run game was suffering with Williams, and the team simply let him leave in free agency earlier this year. The Broncos restocked their RB room with RJ Harvey in the second round ofthe 2025 NFL Draft, and JK Dobbins, a late free agency signing back in June.
Thus far, JK Dobbins has been exceptional for Denver and is giving them the production at the position that the Broncos have been missing for years, and Harvey himself has played well when called upon. Javonte Williams, though, is also holding his own.
Javonte Williams is playing very well, but so is JK Dobbins
This is an odd situation, as Javonte Williams is absolutely proving the Denver Broncos wrong. He signed for just $1 million guaranteed with the Dallas Cowboys and ended up running away with their RB1 job. Through five games. Williams has produced the following:
79 carries
447 yards
5 touchdowns
5.7 yards per carry
62% success rate
He's been, arguably, the most efficient running back in the NFL this year, but it's not like Denver totally botched their RB moves, as JK Dobbins has been quite efficient himself:
77 carries
402 yards
4 touchdowns
5.2 yards per carry
53.2% success rate
Sure, Dobbins has not been as efficient, but the former Charger and Raven is actually on pace to have one of the best seasons by a running back in Denver Broncos' history. I am sure Denver would have loved to have seen Javonte Williams perform like he has for Dallas with the Broncos, but it was time to move on.
In many instances, a new beginning is what a player needs to really get going, and Williams is also another year removed from his knee injury back in 2022. Still just 25 years old, Javonte Williams could have several more years of high-end production left, and the Cowboys are surely thinking of re-signing him if he keeps this up.
The Denver Broncos got someone who fits what they want to do in JK Dobbins, so it's not a total loss that they let go of Javonte Williams.