Former Lions running back gets thrown a career lifeline by Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson left the Detroit Lions to become head coach of the Chicago Bears, where he inherited a running back he had worked with before (D'Andre Swift). Now, he has kicked the tires on a potential reunion with another back he has worked with.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Bears had former Lions running back Jamaal Williams in for a workout on Saturday.

Williams was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 2017, he spent the first four seasons of his career there. He signed with the Lions in 2021, but it was his second season in Detroit (and Johnson's first as the Lions' offensive coordinator) that he reached a pinnacle in his career.

Sharing a backfield with Swift, Williams set the then Lions' single season franchise record with 17 rushing touchdowns. He also set career-highs for carries (262) and rushing yards (1,066), just in time hit free agency in 2023

After contract talks with the Lions stalled, Williams signed a three-year, $12 million deal with the New Orleans Saints. He subsequently made it clear he was not happy with how he was treated by the Lions in contract negotiations, but it didn't take long for the pivot to David Montgomery to be proven correct.

Ben Johnson throws Jamaal Williams a lifeline with his career on the ropes

Over two seasons in New Orleans, Williams totaled 470 rushing yards as he averaged just 3.1 yards per carry. With a new head coach in place, he was inevitably released in March and there has been little (if any) reported interest in him since. But since he's an available veteran running back as training camps roll on and preseason games get going, he has been easy to tie to teams who may need reinforcements at the position (including the Bears).

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Lions fans largely didn't want to entertain the idea Williams would leave in 2023 free agency, on the ideas he would take less to stay or they liked so much they'd overpay to keep him. But as a then soon-to-be 28-year old running back who was coming off a career year, he was right to see what the open market had for him and the Saints gave him a deal that satisfied him

Now 30 years old and coming off his worst season, Williams' career is on the ropes and the Bears may end up signing him. But if they don't and the workout yields an opportunity elsewhere, Williams can thank Johnson for throwing him a lifeline that reminded the rest of the league he's available.

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