Broncos running back Javonte Williams to miss rest of season with major knee injury

The struggling Denver Broncos offense will be without one of its main cogs for the rest of the season -- and perhaps even longer -- after starting running back Javonte Williams sustained serious damage to his right knee in Sunday's loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. 

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, an MRI on Monday revealed that Williams not only tore his ACL, but also has a torn LCL and damage to the posterolateral corner of the knee. 

"Losing Javonte is so unfortunate, a dynamic player in this league," coach Nathaniel Hackett told reporters.

The second-year pro from North Carolina was the Broncos' leading rusher (204 yards) and second-leading receiver (16 catches) this season. He was injured on the first play of the second half on Sunday when he was tackled for a 1-yard loss.

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Based on the severity of the injury, Williams could face a recovery period of roughly 12 months, which means he might not be ready for the start of the 2023 season. 

The Broncos -- who already lost No. 2 wide receiver Tim Patrick to a knee injury before the season started -- rank 29th in the NFL in scoring at 16.5 points per game.