By the time the 2024 season ended with a blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card Round, it was already almost a certainty running back Javonte Williams had played his last game for the Denver Broncos.
Even though the Broncos season as a whole was a resounding success — it was their first playoff appearance since the 2015 season — for Williams it was anything but that.
Playing in the final season of his 4-year, $8.86 million rookie contract, Williams was in a “Prove It” year in which he proved little except he seemed like there was no way he could ever be more than an RB2 option in the NFL.
That’s what happens when you have a great offensive line, which the Broncos do, play in all 17 games and rush for just 531 yards and 4 touchdowns and average 3.6 yards per carry.
While Williams still led the Broncos in rushing for the third time in 4 seasons, the writing was on the wall and he landed with the Dallas Cowboys on a 1-year, $3 million contract.
While expectations are low for Williams, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton put him on a list of 5 NFL running backs he predicts could have “Breakout Seasons” in 2025.
“(Williams) could have a career year with the Dallas Cowboys after his production tailed off over the last two seasons with the Denver Broncos,” Moton wrote on July 13. “Williams racked up 1,219 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie in 2021, both of which are his high-water mark to date. In the following season, he tore his ACL, LCL and posterolateral corner. Over the last two years, he’s averaged less than 3.8 yards per carry.Now that he’s multiple years removed from that injury, Williams can claim the lead position in the Cowboys’ wide-open backfield competition and show flashes of the player who accumulated 1,200-plus scrimmage yards before the injuries.”
It would be a tough pill to swallow for Broncos fans if Williams, a second round pick (No. 35 overall) in the 2021 NFL draft, finally realizes his potential with another team.
Broncos Overhauled RB Room In Offseason
The Broncos dissatisfaction with their running backs turned into action this offseason as they let Williams leave in free agency and brought in a pair of new running back as headliners.
Denver added UCF running back RJ Harvey in the second round (No. 60 overall) of the 2025 NFL draft after he rushed for over 1,400 yards in each of his last 2 college seasons — a stretch in which he scored 42 total touchdowns.
The Broncos weren’t done there. They made a deft free agent addition with veteran running back J.K. Dobbins, signing him to a 1-year, $2.75 million contract on June 10 — good money for that late in the offseason.
With those 2 running backs, the Broncos essentially have a 1A and 1B at the position depending on which player has the hot hand.
The 2 can also benefit each other in some pretty impactful ways.
Dobbins’ problem has always been injuries. With Harvey’s young legs, he won’t be counted on for as many carries and has a better chance to stay healthy. With Harvey, he gets a veteran as a mentor who can help guide his rookie year.
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