The traditional saying regarding contracts in professional sports is that you won\u2019t be compensated for what you\u2019ve accomplished. It’s constantly concerning what you are able to accomplish in the future.<\/p>\n
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This point is emphasized again with free agent running back Javonte Williams, who had his initial 4 seasons with the Denver Broncos, and Spotrac anticipates he will secure a 3-year, $20.7 million deal in the open market.<\/p>\n
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Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report ranks Williams as one of the top free agent running backs in the NFL and predicts he will join the Pittsburgh Steelers.<\/p>\n
This could surprise Broncos fans, especially after seeing Williams average only 3.7 yards per carry in 2024 and not really come close to reaching 1,000 rushing yards in one season.<\/p>\n
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“According to Knox, Javonte Williams may be the most unpredictable player in the 2025 running back market.” The 24-year-old displayed immense potential as a rookie in 2021, accumulating 1,219 scrimmage yards while making just one start \u2026 Pittsburgh might be the ideal destination for Williams. He would get an opportunity to revive his career in (Arthur) Smith\u2019s run-heavy scheme, while the Steelers would acquire an appropriate partner to Jaylen Warren, potentially at a lower expense than re-signing (Najee) Harris<\/p>\n
Teams Advised to ‘Avoid’ Williams<\/p>\n
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Alex Kay from Bleacher Report suggested that teams ought to avoid signing Williams in free agency.<\/p>\n
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Williams was selected in the second round (35th overall) of the 2021 NFL draft and recently completed the last season of the four-year, $8.86 million contract he signed as a rookie.<\/p>\n
In 2024, Williams topped the Broncos in rushing for the second year in a row, totaling 513 rushing yards, but he only averaged 3.7 yards per carry. In 2023, he topped the team with 774 rushing yards, averaging 3.6 yards per carry.<\/p>\n
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“Teams ought to be cautious about regarding Williams as a top-tier starter,” Kay stated on January 13. “Although he showed potential as a rookie in 2021, he tore his ACL the next season and has struggled to be a reliable ball-carrier since.” Williams recorded an average of only 3.6 yards per carry in 2023 and 3.7 yards per carry in 2024. His slow rushing performance shouldn\u2019t be attributed to his teammates either, since fellow running back Jaleel McLaughlin and rookie Audric Estim\u00e9 both exceeded 4.0 yards per carry this year.<\/p>\n
Broncos Might Select Running Back in Opening Round<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s highly probable that the Broncos will select a running back in the 2025 NFL draft, and if you conducted an informal survey among Denver fans, the player they would most likely identify as their ideal running back would be Ashton Jeanty from Boise State.<\/p>\n
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Jeanty finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2024, guiding the Broncos to their inaugural College Football Playoff appearance. He nearly surpassed Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record, achieving 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns while maintaining an astonishing average of 7.1 yards per carry.<\/p>\n
Knox also mentioned the two-time reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and the Minnesota Vikings as potential destinations for Williams if the Steelers pass on him. NFL teams are allowed to start contract discussions with unrestricted free agents or their agents on March 10, and players can begin signing contracts on March 12.<\/p>\n
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The traditional saying regarding contracts in professional sports is that you won\u2019t be compensated for what you\u2019ve accomplished. It’s constantly concerning what you are able to accomplish in the future. This point is emphasized again with free agent running back Javonte Williams, who had his initial 4 seasons with the Denver Broncos, and Spotrac […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22446,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"\n