Jamaal Williams Seeks NFL Comeback, Reaches Out to Lions Coach Dan Campbell
The former Lions running back expressed his desire to play again and spoke with Campbell, who indicated the team is currently set at the position.
Former Detroit Lions running back Jamaal Williams has contacted head coach Dan Campbell expressing his interest in an NFL comeback. Williams, who has not played in an NFL game in 21 months, is seeking another opportunity to play professionally.
Campbell informed Williams that the Lions currently have a full roster at the running back position but assured him that the team would keep him in consideration should circumstances change. "Football’s my love, man," Williams told the Detroit Free Press. "I want to finish off right. It’s just something about knowing what your first love is and mine so happened to be a professional sport, and knowing that you’re not going to be able to play it forever I just want to make sure that I have no regrets on me working hard, doing what I need to do to get to my dream one more time."
Williams spent two seasons with the Lions in 2021 and 2022, becoming a fan favorite. In his 2022 campaign, he achieved 1,066 rushing yards and set a team record with 17 rushing touchdowns. Following his departure in free agency, the Lions signed David Montgomery, and Williams joined the New Orleans Saints, where he played a secondary role to Alvin Kamara.
In 2025, Williams had tryouts with several teams, but no offers materialized. "At the time, it was just the Saints who offered what I wanted," Williams explained. "They gave it to me and I ended up there. And that’s pretty much it. There’s no personal feelings, no hard feelings. It’s the NFL, it’s part of business. That’s all."
He added, "It really started dwelling on my mental of you hearing people tell you what you feel like you can’t do. And you know what you can do, you just need the opportunity."