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On Sept. 10, 2022 Broncos Country believed they had seen the last of Javonte Williams for 12-18 months after tearing his ACL and LCL against the hated Las Vegas Raiders. Just over 10 months later the Grim Reaper will return in San Francisco this Saturday.

The 2022 season was supposed to be the break out for 2021 Denver Broncos second round pick Javonte Williams after an impressive rookie season that earned him his nick name of Grim Reaper after all the men’s souls he has snatched for daring to try to tackle him, ask Marlon Humphrey’s if this is some mere human. He was also part of the NFL All-Rookie Team, his peers and pundits get it. We have not seen a recovery of this nature since Adrian Peterson shocked the world and come back on an even shorter timeline to rush for 2,000 yards in 2012 when he tore his ACL and MCL. I will admit Peterson’s comeback was slightly more impressive, and I am not predicting Williams to go for 2k and the MVP. But Williams is right there with him on defying the odds. Many though we wouldn’t see Williams at all this season and Broncos Country would see a running back committee led by free agent signing Samaje Perine.

All of that was put to rest by Sean Payton speaking after Tuesday’s training camp practice to ESPN “He’s doing well, we’ll have a plan — I plan on playing him,” Payton said. “We’ll see pitch count-wise towards the end of the week. We’ll be smart, but I do see him playing.” So while he will be playing on a limited basis (like all veterans in the pre-season) he will get a chance to test that surgically repaired knee in a game situation before it counts. Hopefully it’s enough to get his confidence back in being able to cut, this is always the final piece of the recovery puzzle.

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Williams has worked ferociously the entire offseason and until the start of training camp even he was unsure if he would make it out for the season opener against those same Raiders he tore his ligaments against. But then training camp started and he wasn’t on the PUP list. “It was hard at first … but each week my confidence got bigger and bigger,” Williams said then to ESPN’s Jeff Legwold. “Now that I’m back on the field, I think this is the highest that [my confidence] has ever been.”

Even if Williams didn’t completely believe in his own recovery at times. Head Coach Sean Payton has been consistent in his optimism all offseason. The obvious signs of this confidence was the fact that despite multiple running back being available in the draft and free agency they spent zero picks on the position and only signed career backups in Tony Jones and the aforementioned Perine. Both of these players are slower versions of Williams that pose zero threat to a healthy Grim Reaper. For fantasy football buffs, the running back you have to worry about taking a chunk of carries is undrafted free-agent rookie Jaleel McLaughlin. McLaughlin was name “The Best Collegiate Running Back You Never Heard Of” by Pro Football Network. The Broncos just might have the hungriest backfield in the NFL. Between Williams returning from injury, undrafted free agents in McLaughlin and Tyler Badie, and career backup Perine who all run with a chip on their shoulder.

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There are very high expectation in Denver for this Broncos team. A lot of that hinges on an improved offensive line and running game. Week 1 of preseason showed some issues with the pass pro, especially from the smaller backs and third string right tackle Isaiah Prince who started in place of the Broncos most expensive off-season signing Mike McGlinchey. This Saturday we should get at least a quick view of both Williams and McGlinchey on the field at the same time and what this revamped offense should look like come Sept. 10 against the rival Raiders. All eyes will be on Santa Clara as the 2023 Denver Broncos look to solidify their identity ahead of the season opener.

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