Sean Payton aimed to beef up the Denver Broncos’ rushing attack when he joined the team in 2023, but it’s fair to say the ground game was a disappointment in Year 1 under Payton.
The Broncos rushed for 1,810 yards in 2023, a downgrade from the team’s 2022 total of 1,935 yards. As a team, Denver averaged 4.0 yards per carry, which was also lower than last year (4.4 YPC).
A contributing factor was the Broncos’ lead running back, Javonte Williams, returned from a serious knee injury and never regained his old form. After averaging 4.4 YPC in 2021 and 4.3 YPC in 2022, Williams saw his average drop down to 3.6 YPC in 2023.
Jaleel McLaughlin ended up being Denver’s most efficient rusher in 2023, averaging 5.4 YPC. After him were fellow running back Samaje Perine (4.5) and quarterback Russell Wilson (4.3).
The Broncos only gave carries to three RBs in 2023 — Williams, McLaughlin and Perine — with fullback Michael Burton (1.3 YPC), wide receiver Marvin Mims (3.3 YPC) and quarterback Jarrett Stidham (0.9 YPC) each rushing fewer than 10 times. In terms of yards, Wilson was the team’s third-best rusher.
Here’s a look at Denver’s leading rushers from the 2023 season.