Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams struggled through the 2023 season after putting on weight during his ACL recovery. Williams slimmed down during this offseason and looks spry once again.
"He's lost weight. He looks trim. I thought he looked sharp today," coach Sean Payton said Wednesday, via The Associated Press. "He looked much different. His weight's down, and I'm proud of him."
Williams reportedly still looked sluggish during spring OTAs, and questions circulated in Denver about his place in the rotation after he averaged 3.6 yards per carry last season. Payton noted that he watched some of Williams' college tape and asked the running back to get closer to that number -- 220 -- in hopes of restoring his agility.
"We were watching him, all the runs, and I was asking him questions, and I said, 'This is the back I want. What did you weigh here?'" Payton said.
After powering through an impressive rookie campaign in 2021, Williams was poised for a massive role in the offense in 2022 before a Week 4 ACL tear wiped out that plan. Recovering from the knee injury, Williams never looked like himself last season, Payton's first year at the helm -- 774 yards and three TDs on 217 carries.
After shedding some weight, Williams looked as good as he has since 2022, with sharp cuts and burst on Wednesday. It's one day, but it's a good start.
"You could see it today," Payton said.
Williams enters camp atop the depth chart, but touches aren't a given entering the season, with Payton putting more of his fingerprints on the operation. Denver also has Samaje Perine, shifty Jaleel McLaughlin and physical fifth-round pick Audric Estime. Williams needs a good camp to prove to Payton he can still be the workhorse.
So far, so good.