RB Jamaal Williams Contacted Lions

Williams, who divided 2017-24 among Green Bay, Detroit and New Orleans, turned in a career year with the Lions in 2022. In his lone 17-game season to date, the 6-foot, 224-pounder set across-the-board bests in carries (263), yards (1,066) and touchdowns (17).

Williams’ outburst in his second and final season in Detroit came at an ideal time, as he parlayed it into a three-year, $12MM contract with the Saints in free agency. However, Williams told Birkett he never wanted to leave the Motor City.

“I wanted to stay. I didn’t want to go nowhere. I wanted to be there,” said Williams, who added that he has “no hard feelings” toward the Lions.

Detroit already had Williams’ replacement on hand when he agreed to a deal with New Orleans, having picked up David Montgomery on a three-year, $18MM pact a day earlier. A month later, the Lions spent the 12th overall pick in the draft on Jahmyr Gibbs. Those two formed a tremendous combination until the Lions traded Montgomery to the Texans this past March. The Lions then dipped into free agency to sign former Chief Isiah Pacheco as their new No. 2, but after suffering a back injury during the summer, he won’t play until at least December.

Although the inexperienced Sione Vaki and Jacob Saylors are the Lions’ only healthy backs behind Gibbs, they have not brought in an outside replacement for Pacheco. Detroit met with Kareem Hunt in late August, but he remains unsigned a month later. So far this season, the Lions have turned to the elite Gibbs as their workhorse. He already has 56 touches (45 rushes, 11 receptions) through two games. Vaki (three carries) and quarterback Jared Goff (five) are the only other Lions with rushing attempts.

Meanwhile, the 31-year-old Williams has gone without a team for a little over 18 months. The Saints released him after he put up career lows in carries (48), yards (164) and TDs (one) over 14 games in 2024. Williams worked out for the Bears and Dolphins in August 2025, but he has not drawn any reported interest since then.