Javonte Williams, to put it plainly, tore up his knee in week four of the 2022 season, which was 10 months ago, and his recovery seems to be going as best as it possibly could. The running back looks to be ready to return to the lineup somehow, and this could not be better news for the Denver Broncos.
Javonte Williams tore his ACL and reportedly other ligaments in his knee on October 2nd, 2022, during the Denver Broncos' week four game against the Las Vegas Raiders. It ended his season which was likely going to be a huge one for the stud RB, who is one of the best tackle-breakers in the NFL. His tough running has caught the eye of many in the NFL, and even though he's barely rushed for over 1,000 yards during his career, people are right to think that he is one of the most talented runners in the NFL.
Denver Broncos' head coach Sean Payton was speaking to reports when he made a bold statement about Williams. Payton said that the running back is 100%:
Sean Payton says that Javonte Williams is '100% right now' pic.twitter.com/gz2P0x4FQZ
— Xan (@XanB21) August 10, 2023
"He's 100% right now." Wow. To say that's miraculous would be a horrid understatement. Payton also said in this clip that he does not know how many snaps he'll get on Friday, which is the Denver Broncos first preseason game, but still, what a recovery. Something that this quick recovery could also indicate is that perhaps Williams is a RB who can withstand the beating that RBs in the NFL take.
Perhaps this is one of those rare running backs that isn't going to necessarily decline with age. Maybe he's someone who the Denver Broncos could keep long-term. Paying running backs is generally a bad idea, but perhaps Javonte Williams can eventually be an exception to that rule. Having him back in the lineup for week one is going to be a huge boost for the offense.
The Denver Broncos offensive line is the most talented on paper it's been in years, and the team being a run-first offense is going to allow Williams to thrive in an offense that plays to his strengths. Now that there isn't someone like Melvin Gordon who takes carries away, Javonte Williams can show the league how good he can be.