Denver not only lost a divisional game Sunday afternoon to Las Vegas, it lost one of its best offensive players for the season as well.
Running back Javonte Williams tore the ACL in his right knee and he will miss the rest of the season, a source confirmed to The Denver Post Monday morning. He had an MRI Monday after returning to Denver with the team.
Williams sustained the right knee injury on the first play of the third quarter Sunday at Las Vegas. He took a handoff to the left but was tackled behind the line of scrimmage and didn’t get up for an extended period.
He put almost no weight on that leg as he was helped off the field and was carted to the locker room a short time later.
On the season, the 22-year-old, second-year back out of North Carolina has 47 carries for 202 yards to go along with 16 catches for 76 yards.
In his rookie season, Williams rushed for 903 yards and four touchdowns and added 43 catches for 316 and three more scores.
The Broncos thought they had depth at the position after signing veteran Melvin Gordon to a one-year contract during the offseason, but he has fumbled four times in as many games this season. Like Williams, he lost a fumble on the goal line against Seattle. Sunday in Las Vegas, Gordon did not play until late in the second quarter. When he did enter the game, he lost a fumble on his first carry that was returned for a touchdown.
In all, Gordon played 10 snaps against the Raiders and Mike Boone played 19. Boone carried three times for 20 yards but also had two drops, including on what would have been an explosive play in the middle of the field in the waning minutes while Denver was trying to mount a comeback.
The most logical addition to the mix going forward is practice squad running back Devine Ozigbo. Signed before the team’s preseason finale, Ozigbo has played in 21 career games with 11 carries for 25 yards to go along with 13 catches for 72 yards.
The Broncos could also explore the trade market, though general manager George Paton is hoping to add draft capital between now and the spring rather than spend it considering Denver has only five picks for the 2023 draft currently.
