Chiefs place running back Darrel Williams on injured reserve

The Kansas City Chiefs activated Alex Brown from the practice squad and placed Darrel Williams on injured reserve.

The 2019 season is officially over for Darrel Williams. Unfortunately for the running back, his hamstring injury suffered on Sunday against the Oakland Raiders turned out to be worse than expected. That means the Kansas City Chiefs had to place him on injured reserve on Thursday.

Williams went down with a non-contact injury during Week 13’s win over the Raiders and was attended to by trainers on the sideline. From there, the team termed it a hamstring injury after the game and have now placed him on IR. Given that they also just used the final designation to return on defensive tackle Xavier Williams, there is now no path back for Williams to play again this year.

Darrel Williams has appeared in all 12 games for the Chiefs so far this season. He has 41 carries for 41 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground, good for a 3.4 yards/carry average. He’s also added 15 catches for 167 receiving yards and 1 more touchdown through the air.

Williams joined the team as an undrafted free agent out of LSU before the 2018 season and won a roster spot in training camp. From there, he grew to handle a larger role this season as the team’s primary backup for Damien Williams while LeSean McCoy also accounts for some snaps. Darwin Thompson, the team’s rookie sixth rounder, has largely been shelved until recent injuries, a la Williams, have brought him into the foreground.

Williams still has one year left on his contract before hitting restricted free agency in 2021. Given his low cap hit of just over $600K, he’s a fairly safe bet to return to the Chiefs roster in 2020.