Saints, Ex-Lions RB Jamaal Williams Agree to Three-Year Contract, per Report

He cashes in with New Orleans after leading the NFL in touchdowns with Detroit in 2022.

The Saints bolstered their backfield in a big way on the first day of NFL free agency, adding former Packers and Lions running back Jamaal Williams.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Williams is headed to New Orleans on a three-year, $12 million deal, which is set to include $8 million in guaranteed money. 

The NFL’s 2022 rushing touchdown leader cashed in on his big season in Detroit, during which he punched in 17 touchdowns in as many games and totaled 1,066 rushing yards.

The contract carries an average annual value of $4 million per season, which marks a slight raise coming off the two-year, $6 million deal he played under with the Lions. 

Detroit agreed to sign former Bears running back David Montgomery on Tuesday, paving the path for Williams’s exit from the Motor City. 

Williams could have an important role to play in New Orleans, with running back Alvin Kamara possibly facing a suspension from the NFL stemming from an incident during Pro Bowl weekend in 2022. 

The 27-year-old Williams left a heartwarming message for Lions fans on Twitter on Wednesday. 

I just wanna say thank you to all the Detroit fans and everybody apart of the hidden village of the den 🙏🏾 I’ve grown a lot just from those two years and i appreciate every experience I had with every person I came to encounter while I was there. pic.twitter.com/bQZT1LAeNh

— Jamaal Williams (@jswaggdaddy) March 15, 2023

Across his six-year career, Williams has 30 rushing touchdowns, more than half of which he racked up last season. He’ll look to continue his dominance on goal-line situations, where he did most of his touchdown-scoring work in Detroit. 

His career year in 2022 saw him break the 1,000-yard threshold for the first time, as he posted statistical bests across virtually every category. 

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