Who Should I Start? Andy Dalton or Javonte Williams

Sunday, October 27, 3:13 PM

The Carolina Panthers will not have quarterback Andy Dalton (thumb) or running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) for Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos. Dalton is inactive after injuring his right thumb during a minor car accident earlier this week. His absence re-inserts Bryce Young into the Panthers starting lineup for Week 8. Meanwhile, Brooks is still on the non-football injury list after Carolina failed to activate him on Saturday. The rookie still has not made his NFL debut. The Panthers must activate him by November 6; if they don't, Brooks won't be able to play this season. Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders will handle most of Carolina's rushing opportunities until Brooks is healthy enough to play.

Monday, January 20, 6:15 PM

The Denver Gazette's Chris Tomasson writes that the Denver Broncos are not expected to re-sign impending free-agent running back Javonte Williams this offseason. Williams, a former second-round pick in 2021 out of North Carolina, entered the 2024 season as the team's unquestioned lead back, but poor efficiency on the ground led to the Broncos going with a committee approach in the backfield halfway through the year that also involved Jaleel McLaughlin and rookie Audric Estime. The 24-year-old came into the NFL as a bruising, tackle-breaking lead-back option for Denver, but since suffering a torn ACL in his sophomore season in 2022, he has not been the same, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry while combining for 1,287 rushing yards and only seven rushing TDs the last two seasons. Despite leading Denver with 513 rushing yards in 2024, Williams will likely struggle to find a lead-back role on the open market.