Jamaal Williams, the former running back for the Detroit Lions, recently signed a three-year deal worth $12 million with the New Orleans Saints. During his introductory press conference, Williams revealed that he felt disrespected by the Lions’ offer to re-sign him. According to a report from Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Lions offered Williams a contract similar to the one given to David Montgomery, but ultimately signed Montgomery when Williams’ agent shopped around for better deals. This suggests that Williams bet on himself and lost, as he did not receive the same amount of money from the Saints.
Key Points
- Williams felt disrespected by the Lions’ offer to re-sign him
- The Lions signed David Montgomery instead of Williams
- Williams signed with the Saints for $12 million total, with $8.15 million guaranteed and a $1.9 million signing bonus
- Dave Birkett says the Lions offered Williams a similar contract to what they gave Montgomery
- Williams’ decision to leave the Lions may have been a costly mistake
Big Picture: Jamaal Williams may have bet on himself and lost
Williams’ alleged decision to pass on a solid contract offer from the Detroit Lions, only to sign for less with the Saints, highlights the risks of betting on oneself in the NFL. While Williams may have believed that he was worth more than the Lions’ offer, he ultimately did not receive as much money as he could have. This is a cautionary tale for other NFL players considering leaving their current team for a better offer elsewhere. Sometimes, the grass is not always greener on the other side.
So what did the Lions offer Montgomery? God, you can’t just put all the details in the article?
yeah. its bad enough when the facebook journalists say crap like “similar amounts”, but when the “pros” do the same thing, i mean come on. what were the actual numbers
18 million