The Bears are adding to their running back room. Chicago has agreed to terms on a deal with free agent Damien Williams, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). It’s a one-year pact, he notes.
Williams was a COVID-19 opt out of the 2020 season, and the Chiefs then cut him last week after the drafting of Clyde Edwards-Helaire made him expendable. As Rapsheet points out there’s some familiarity here, as Bears head coach Matt Nagy is an Andy Reid protege who runs a similar offensive scheme. New Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor also coached Williams in Miami.
An Oklahoma product, Williams got his NFL start as an UDFA with the Dolphins in 2014. After four years there as a role player, Williams signed with the Chiefs in 2018 and took on a bigger load. In 2019 he was the team’s leading rusher despite playing in only 11 games, carrying the ball 111 times for 498 yards and five touchdowns.
In Kansas City’s Super Bowl win that season he came up huge, rushing for 104 yards and scoring two touchdowns. That’s the last game he’s played. He’ll turn 29 next month, and will join a backfield that includes last year’s workhorse David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen returning from injury.
Slowly but surely we are starting to fix our offense.
At this rate it might take 6 years
-teen. Sixteen years.
Another good pick up to bad Fuller gone this team was pushing a lot of the right buttons. RB Williams is good
When he’s healthy, he’s very good. Sadly, he’s hurt every season for a good chunk of time.
He’s missed five games each in 2017 and 2019, and one in 2016, but has otherwise appeared in 16 games three times in his career, including in 2018.
Tired of reading “protege” or “similar offense.” We all know the one big difference… QB play.
Until the Bears replace this coaching staff and front office, they will continue to play below the expectations of their fan base. Replace them and let the replacements draft a QB. If they miss, replace them too. Bears fans deserve better.
Rant over. Bear Down.
Unfortunately, this comment would’ve held true for the last, oh, 20 years
Amen brother
What use is a good quarterback when they don’t have offense of tackles or guards to protect him? They need to fix the offensive line.