Javonte Williams is set to take the penultimate step toward playing in the Broncos’ season opener

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Javonte Williams only has one major hurdle to clear before making his official return as the Denver Broncos’ starting running back in the regular season.

And he’s on track to clear that hurdle.

Following the Broncos’ eighth training camp practice on Thursday, Sean Payton announced that Williams will play in the preseason for the Broncos.

“He’ll get reps. It may be we wait till Week 2, we haven’t gone through the outline of the plays yet,” Denver’s head coach stated.

The third-year running back is coming off a devastating knee injury he suffered on Oct. 2 in the Broncos’ Week 4 game against the Las Vegas Raiders in which he tore his ACL, LCL and PCL.

Williams’ initial diagnosis was he would be sideline between a year and 18 months. Yet, less than 10 months after the injury, the bruising back was on the field at the start of Broncos’ training camp.

Not only has Javonte been on the field to start camp, he’s barely had any limitations, if any at all.

Williams has had only a single off day during the first week of training camp. And even on his team-mandated day off on Wednesday, instead of wearing a bucket hat and observing practice on the sideline, which is typical for a player taking a day off, Williams had his helmet and pads on as he stood with the rest of his teammates on the field.

“I like how he’s progressing,” Payton added of Williams’ remarkable recovery.

The Broncos’ first preseason game is Friday, Aug. 11 in Arizona against the Cardinals. If Williams plays in Denver’s preseason opener, his first game action would come less than 11 months after his injury. If Payton and the Broncos wait until Week 2 of the preseason, Williams will make his preseason debut on Saturday, Aug. 19 in San Francisco.

For the rest of the team, this preseason will be significantly different than last year. The starters will be playing. Payton, however, hasn’t determined exactly what games players will play and for how long.

“The week prior to the first game, so next week as we get ready for Arizona, we’ll begin to look,” Payton added, when asked when he decides the playing time for the starters in the preseason. “We typically go in three roles — first phase, second phase and third phase. That’s leading up to the game. And then we practice accordingly.”

The Broncos are just over a week away from their first preseason game. And Javonte Williams may just be one week away from getting his first game action since last October.