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    Javonte Williams Injury Update: Will the Broncos RB Be Healthy To Start the 2023 Season?

    A season-ending injury to the Denver Broncos' star RB eroded their 2022 hopes. Will Javonte Williams return for the start of the 2023 season?

    When Javonte Williams went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 4 last season, it was a painful sign for a franchise that went on to lose 11 of its final 14 games. As a true difference-maker in the backfield, a healthy Williams could help lead the Denver Broncos to a big rebound in 2023. What is his injury status as we draw closer to training camp? Will Williams be healthy enough to return by Week 1?

    Latest Javonte Williams Injury Update

    Williams’ injury is one of the worst any athlete — and certainly any running back — can face. On Oct. 2 last year, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), lateral collateral ligament (LCL), and posterolateral corner (PLC). Mile High Sports‘ Zach Segars summed it up best at the time, reporting that Williams’ recovery timetable “feels impossible to forecast now.”

    Fast-forward more than six months later to April 20, 2023, when the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson shared word from Broncos GM George Paton that while Williams was recovering from offseason surgery, his timetable remained in limbo. But he did confirm that Williams would return at some point during the upcoming season.

    In a vacuum, this news seems discouraging. And in the context of what Paton said two months earlier — that Williams was “on track” to return for the start of the season — the April update seems downright disastrous.

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    But then on May 13, head coach Sean Payton stated that “we expect him to be ready for the start of training camp.”

    What?! After Paton’s April acknowledgement, it appeared Williams’ best-case scenario would place him on a much more prolonged Cam Akers track. The Rams’ No. 1 RB (at least for now), Akers broke out as a promising rookie before losing most of his second year to a torn Achilles. It took him 14 or 15 months before he started to show signs of his pre-injury form late last season.

    And then on May 25, Williams joined his team at practice. It marked a dramatic five-week turnaround, at least based on the messaging coming from the Broncos organization.

    This doesn’t mean Williams’ rookie-year greatness will be recaptured in 2023, even if he’s ready to go Week 1. The Broncos still need to plan for the best while preparing for the possibility of a setback or weakened short-term outputs — that Williams circa 2021 might not resurface until 2024.

    Broncos’ Offseason RB Decisions

    The Broncos went all in last offseason by acquiring Russell Wilson. They have a terrific defense and strong receivers. However, this franchise has the misfortune of playing in the same division as the Kansas City Chiefs. And with the Los Angeles Chargers once again eyeing a realistic push to the postseason, Denver has its work cut out. Yet, it also has the talent to reach the postseason if Wilson returns to form.

    This is what makes the Broncos’ RB decisions so challenging — and really, all of their roster decisions. In a sense, Denver’s in no man’s land, competing for a Super Bowl as relative longshots while bracing for the possibility that Wilson’s best days are far behind him, and simultaneously hoping that a re-emergent Wilson could turn them into the legitimate title contenders they thought they were last summer.

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    These divergent scenarios help inform why the Broncos’ backfield would look like a mess if Williams’ return is delayed. Although signing Samaje Perine was savvy, leaning heavily on the soon-to-be 28-year-old seems risky. Perine hasn’t handled more than 95 carries in a season since 2017. Tony Jones Jr. and Damarea Crockett are extra bodies. Tyler Badie is a tertiary piece with unrealized potential in the right conditions.

    Notably, prior to the NFL Draft, Denver hosted incoming NFL rookie Tank Bigsby shortly before Paton issued his more dire prognosis. Yet, in the third round, they passed on Bigsby in favor of cornerback Riley Moss. Bigsby fell to Jacksonville five picks later.

    What Are the Broncos’ Options If Williams Remains Sidelined?

    Although Perine is currently No. 1 on the depth chart in Williams’ absence, I can’t imagine the Broncos are close to 100% content with their backfield. Presumably, they’re continuing to eye talent, and with plenty of wideouts in their corps, they could be looking to trade for a running back who can make Williams expendable, at least for this upcoming season.

    But injuries are beyond unfortunate. They rob us of the chance to see a breakout talent like Williams do what so few can do. Because let’s not forget that Williams led the league in 2021 with 31 broken tackles, despite earning a relatively modest 203 carries. He tacked on another six broken tackles in just under four games last season, putting him on a top-five pace.

    Williams is not just Denver’s best running back. At his best, he’s one of the NFL’s best. Hopefully, we’ll see why soon.

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