Damien Williams‘ recent Raiders workout will lead to a mid-training camp agreement. The former Super Bowl starter agreed to terms with the team Friday, according to his agent (on Twitter).
Spending last year with the Falcons, Williams completed two auditions in the desert recently. The Cardinals went in another direction following Marlon Mack‘s injury, but Williams will end up with a Raiders team still without Josh Jacobs.
Staying away from the Raiders after the July franchise tag deadline came and went without an extension, Jacobs had left the Silver and Black without much at running back. The team has 2022 fourth-round pick Zamir White listed as its starter, and while Ameer Abdullah and Brandon Bolden are still on the roster, neither profiles as a Jacobs fill-in. Williams would, though he has not seen extensive run since he last played for the Chiefs — back in 2019.
Williams, 31, joined Rex Burkhead in a recent Raiders workout. The Cardinals signed Stevie Scott following Mack’s Achilles tear, and Williams will attempt to crack another 53-man roster. While he has done so in each of the past two summers, Williams’ Falcons and Bears tenures did not involve extensive workloads. A lack of mileage has helped Williams stay active at 31. The former Dolphins UDFA has only 490 career touches on his resume.
The Falcons reached an injury settlement with Williams, who played just one game with the team after a 2022 deal. A rib injury sidelined Williams, who totaled only 56 touches during the 2021 season in Chicago. The Chiefs used Williams as their primary post-Kareem Hunt back but cut him following his 2020 opt-out decision.
Williams delivered dazzling playoff work in Kansas City between the 2018 and ’19 postseasons, totaling 10 touchdowns in five games during that span. The Hunt replacement amassed 540 scrimmage yards over those two postseasons. This included a 104-yard rushing performance in a two-touchdown Super Bowl LIV. Although Patrick Mahomes predictably edged Williams for MVP acclaim that night, the veteran back made important contributions to the Chiefs’ cause.
Due to his absence not technically qualifying as a holdout, Jacobs can stay away from the Raiders free of charge. But the reigning rushing champion will begin to miss out on game checks of $561K by remaining away from the team once the regular season begins. The Raiders can also rescind Jacobs’ $10.1MM tender, though that would be an extreme step — particularly as Josh McDaniels resides on a somewhat warmer seat in Year 2 at the helm.
Damien Williams undercutting his former college teammate’s (Josh Jacobs) leverage against the Raiders… Oh well, he’s got to eat too.
Do players even need leverage against the Raiders? This is a team that allowed themselves to get embarrassed by Antonio Brown.