Veteran RB Jamaal Williams could reunite with Ben Johnson and the Bears in 2025

In 2024, RB Jamaal Williams was a member of the New Orleans Saints. He was on the books in 2025 for $1.59 million. However, the Saints released Williams in March after two seasons with New Orleans. 

The 2025 NFL season is two and a half months away. Teams will have off for a few weeks until training camp begins. It’s a time for players, coaches, and the front office to relax. Additionally, higher-ups will evaluate the roster and decide where upgrades are needed. Bears insider Mike Pendleton reported that Chicago could sign Jamaal Williams. First-year head coach Ben Johnson was Williams’ offensive coordinator in Detroit.

Will Jamaal Williams sign with the Bears this offseason?

Notable available free agent running backs:

– J.K. Dobbins– Jamaal Williams– Gus Edwards pic.twitter.com/mGgJtVxctn

— Chicago Bears Network (@bearsnetwork_) June 8, 2025

On their roster heading into the 2025 season, the Bears have two RBs returning from the 2024 season. D’Andre Swift started all 17 games for Chicago in 2024, and Roschon Johnson was his backup. In the seventh round of the 2025 NFL draft, the Bears selected Rutgers’ Kyle Monangi. Additionally, the team has Travis Homer. Despite that depth, Bears insider Mike Pendleton reported the team could look at adding a veteran presence in their backfield.

Chicago has been connected to several free-agent RBs this offseason. That included Nick Chubb, who signed with the Houston Texans. No player has a stronger connection to the Bears’ coaching staff than veteran Jamaal Williams. He was released by the Saints in March and is a free agent in 2025. Williams’s most productive season in the NFL came with former Lions OC Ben Johnson, who is now the head coach of the Bears. That makes Chicago an easy fit for Williams if the two sides reach a deal.

In 2022, Jamaal Williams rushed for a career-high 1,066 yards and a league-leading 17 rushing touchdowns. Another reason Williams would fit seamlessly with the Bears is his connection with D’Andre Swift. They shared a backfield in Detroit for two seasons. Jamaal Williams would be an insurance piece for the Bears. In 2024, he appeared on 20% of the team’s offensive snaps that season. We’ll have to wait and see if Chicago makes a move and signs Williams for the 2025 season.