Denver Broncos star running back Javonte Williams exited Sunday’s loss against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second half with a knee injury, and today, Broncos Country had their worst fears confirmed.
Broncos’ RB Javonte Williams tore his ACL, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 3, 2022
The MRI the Broncos ran on Javonte Williams on Monday revealed that he had suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), ending his season, but his knee suffered even more damage than that. Williams also suffered tears to his lateral collateral ligament (LCL) and posterolateral corner (PLC).
Not only does #Broncos RB Javonte Williams have a torn ACL, but the MRI revealed a a torn LCL and posterior lateral corner, sources say. A significant injury and a long road back.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 3, 2022
Not only is Javonte Williams going to miss the rest of this season, but he has an extremely long recovery ahead of him, the ultimate timetable of which feels impossible to forecast now.
Oh boy, multi-ligament knee injuries are devastating. Research shows RTP rate is 64% for NFL players, but return to preinjury levels is just 30% for those suffering MLKI. https://t.co/csXysvDdWg
— Mario Pilato (@mario_pilato) October 3, 2022
Williams’ ability to create extra yardage in the run game with his bruising running style was a foundation this offense — an attack that currently feels tremendously shaky in almost every other aspect — was relying on.
And to that point, three weapons on this Denver Bronco offense have proven themselves to be reliable: Tim Patrick, Javonte Williams, and Courtland Sutton. The Broncos are now down two of three.
Before the season, you could’ve made the argument that Javonte Williams and Tim Patrick were the #Broncos’ two best offensive weapons. Now both are done with ACL injuries.
— George Stoia III (@GeorgeStoia) October 3, 2022
Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler have to blossom now.
Also, the Broncos now have to rely on Melvin Gordon and Mike Boone in the run game. Gordon has fumbled three times over his last 11 carries, nearly costing Denver two-straight games, while Mike Boone has never carried the ball more than 49 times in a season, and has only carried the ball more than five times in three games over the course of his career.
Russell Wilson is seeming to gain comfortability in this offense, but as a high-variance quarterback, there is added value to having a steady and reliable running game. There’s a reason the best Wilson offenses in Seattle featured Marshawn Lynch.
Now, Denver is without their deeply beloved, new-age version of Lynch, have no idea when, or if, they’ll get him back, and ultimately feel rudderless as a result.