Former NFL rushing touchdown leader attempting comeback with Patriots

The 2022 NFL rushing touchdowns leader hasn't played in over a year after spending two seasons in New Orleans following his breakout campaign in Detroit

Oct 7, 2026 at 11:15 am ET • 5 min read

A former NFL running back is attempting a comeback, as Jamaal Williams worked out for the New England Patriots this week. Williams has been out of the NFL for over a year now, and last played for the New Orleans Saints --rushing for 470 yards and two touchdowns over two seasons.

Williams led the NFL in rushing touchdowns back in 2022 with the Detroit Lions, a season in which he rushed for 1,066 yards and a whopping 17 touchdowns. He served as Jared Goff's lead back as Detroit registered its first winning season in five years, while Williams established himself as a formidable power back who dominated in short-yardage situations. His performance landed Williams a new three-year contract from the Saints in free agency, while the Lions replaced his production with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. 

The Patriots' running back room currently consists of Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson and Corey Kiner. Stevenson and Henderson have supported what is currently a top 10 rushing offense, having combined for 304 rushing yards and two touchdowns through the first four games of the season. But there may be a reason why Mike Vrabel is looking to add another running back to his roster. 

Rhamondre Stevenson injury

On New England's final drive of its eventual 29-26 upset victory over the rival Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Rhamondre Stevenson appeared to suffer some kind of lower-body injury during his last touch of the game. Stevenson was folded awkwardly while being hit by three defenders, and limped off the field while speaking with trainers. He did not take another snap.

Stevenson wasn't seen sporting a boot or on crutches after the game, but it was notable that he did not re-enter the contest as the Patriots looked to chew clock late in the fourth quarter. We will gain more insight into Stevenson's injury -- if he has one -- when the Patriots' mid-week injury report is released Wednesday afternoon.

Stevenson is the Patriots' leading rusher this season with 163 yards and one touchdown on 44 carries. The fact that the Patriots are working out Williams does not guarantee that Stevenson suffered some kind of injury that will force him to miss time. New England could simply be looking to add to its room and bring in a veteran on the practice squad. With that said, let's take a look at Williams' NFL career. 

A look at Williams' career

The BYU product was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was actually the first of THREE running backs the Packers selected that year, followed by Aaron Jones in the fifth round and Devante Mays in the seventh. Ty Montgomery was the Packers' leading rusher the previous year with 457 yards, so Green Bay clearly wanted to address the room.

Williams came in and led the Packers in rushing as a rookie, recording 556 yards and four touchdowns the season Aaron Rodgers missed nine games with a broken collarbone. That was the only year Williams led the Packers in rushing, as Jones eventually took over as the starting back in 2018. However, Williams was the solidified No. 2 who recorded 1,985 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns over 60 career games with the Packers.

Following the 2020 season, Williams signed a two-year deal with the Lions to run the ball for a brand new head coach by the name of Dan Campbell. In his first season with Detroit, Williams rushed for what was then a career-high 601 yards and three touchdowns. D'Andre Swift led the team with 617 rushing yards and five touchdowns as the Lions went 3-13-1. 

The following year was when the Lions as an organization made their jump. They went from 3-13-1 to 9-8 and from the 22nd-best offense in the NFL to the fourth-best. Williams was their lead back and registered his first 1,000-yard rushing season with 1,066 yards and a league-leading 17 touchdowns. Those 17 rushing touchdowns were four more than Derrick Henry, Austin Ekeler and Jalen Hurts scored that year.

Williams' 2022 campaign landed him a three-year, $12 million deal with the Saints to come in and run the ball with Alvin Kamara. However, he registered what was then a career-low 306 yards rushing and one touchdown while missing four games with a hamstring injury. Williams' lone touchdown that year came on the Saints' final play of a 48-17 blowout of the Atlanta Falcons in the final game of the season. Quarterback Jameis Winston revealed afterward that the team went rogue after Saints head coach Dennis Allen called for a kneel-down. Winston instead handed the ball off to Williams to get him into the end zone one time that season.

"It was a team decision," Winston said, via Pro Football Talk. "We know how much Jamaal means to this team. And I understood from D.A.'s perspective, D.A. didn't condone that at all, but we decided as a team to do it."

Falcons head coach Arthur Smith was very upset with Allen for running up the score. It ended up being Smith's final game as the lead man in Atlanta. 

The following season, Williams rushed for 164 yards and one touchdown, making it eight straight seasons in which he found the end zone. Last March, the Saints released him. 

Williams reportedly worked out for the Chicago Bears ahead of the 2025 season, but ultimately went unsigned last year. He isn't ready to close the book on his playing career just yet, though. During a recent interview with Jordan Schultz, Williams encouraged all players who were still looking for an opportunity to keep the faith. 

"If you know you can still play, please, keep playing," Williams said. "Play until you know that you can't play anymore. Because that love for football is just a different breed, man. If you can play, please play, and play with the gratefulness of your body allows you to play that game for, because this game is not forever. Play with respect, love the game, love yourself and just don't give up on yourself if you know you can make it..."