Bears host RB Jamaal Williams for workout

Williams’ star has fallen since a career-best 2022 that featured a league-high 17 rushing touchdowns and his first 1,000-yard season on the ground. He spent the last two years in New Orleans in a rotational role behind Alvin Kamara with only 181 touches in 27 games. To no surprise, a release took place in March.

The Bears would be Williams’ third NFC North team. He started his career in Green Bay as a fourth-round pick in 2017 before signing with the Lions as a free agent in 2021. Chicago is near the bottom of the NFL in terms of cap space, having entered Saturday with roughly $13MM in available funds. That would still allow for a Williams signing without much issue given the nature of his market.

The 30-year-old carried an AAV of $3MM during his Lions stint and his Saints pact averaged $4MM per season. Given the limited nature of his workload in New Orleans – and the fact he averaged just 3.1 yards per carry – Williams will be in line for a deal much closer to the league minimum when he signs with his next team. If that were to be the Bears, a notable workload would not be expected.

Chicago has D’Andre Swift in place to handle lead back duties once again in 2025. 2023 fourth-rounder Roschon Johnson, seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai and veteran special teamer Travis Homer round out the depth chart. If Williams were to sign with the Bears, he would look to carve out a role as a short-yardage specialist during the final weeks of the offseason.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.