Jamaal Williams has not played in an NFL game in 21 months, but the former Detroit Lions fan favorite is not done chasing another opportunity.
Williams told the Detroit Free Press that he recently reached out to Lions head coach Dan Campbell to make it clear he is working toward an NFL comeback. Campbell’s response, according to Williams, was straightforward: Detroit is set at running back for now, but the team would keep him in mind if circumstances change.
It is not a report that the Lions are planning to bring Williams back. Still, his call to Campbell confirms that a reunion is something the 31-year-old would welcome.
“Football’s my love, man,” Williams said. “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 wanted to stay in Detroit
Williams spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Lions, developing into one of the most beloved players of the Campbell era. His 2022 campaign remains one of the best by a Detroit running back in franchise history: 1,066 rushing yards and a team-record 17 rushing touchdowns. The touchdown total also led the NFL that season.
But when Williams hit free agency in 2023, Detroit chose to sign David Montgomery instead. Williams said he understood the business side of the decision, yet he made no effort to hide that he wanted to remain in Detroit.
“I wanted to stay,” Williams said. “I didn’t want to go nowhere. I wanted to be there. That’s where I wanted to be, but at the same time it’s just like, ‘We just got done having this crazy season, what am I doing that you don’t think I deserve?’ And they had their right, they have their things and it’s cool. And then at the time, it was just the Saints who offered what I wanted. 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.”
Why a Lions reunion remains unlikely for now
Detroit’s answer to Williams makes sense. Jahmyr Gibbs is now the centerpiece of the Lions’ backfield, and the club’s official depth chart lists Sione Vaki and Jacob Saylors behind him.
The Lions also have not indicated that they are looking to add a veteran running back. Their most urgent roster work has come in the secondary, where injuries have forced Detroit to make multiple recent moves. Avonte Maddox’s season-ending injury and the continued absences of Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph have understandably shaped the team’s immediate priorities.
Still, Williams is actively preparing for whichever team calls. He said he is training most days at BYU, running routes, lifting and working on special teams while trying to reach 10 NFL seasons.
“I got two more and I know I got it in me so I just been working hard,” Williams said.
A Detroit return is not on the table today. But Williams has made it clear that if the Lions ever need a running back, he would be interested in answering Campbell’s call.
