Chiefs running back Damien Williams has decided to opt out this year.
The Kansas City Chiefs will have to go without the postseason heroics of Damien Williams this year in their pursuit of defending their Super Bowl title. That’s because the running back has decided to opt out for the 2020 season.
Williams is the second Chiefs player to opt not to play the upcoming NFL season because of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Starting guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif announced his decision to opt out last week, the first NFL player to do so.
The Chiefs backfield is a bit less crowded with Williams’ decision, and the spotlight now shifts to Clyde Edwards-Helaire as the team’s lead back without any real competition. Before Williams’ decision, the Chiefs had a tandem atop the depth chart with the potential of their first round pick to go with the proven production of Williams.
Williams was entering a contract year for the Chiefs in 2020, so it will be interesting to see how things play out moving forward, but that’s true of any player who chooses to opt out next season.
Williams has been an MVP-level player for the Chiefs in each of the last two postseason runs, including the championship of last winter. He has 10 total touchdowns over the last two postseasons in just five games with 540 total yards from scrimmage in that span.
After joining the Chiefs as a low-risk free agent in 2018, Williams was given a two-year extension after completing his first season with the Chiefs. He has 1,127 yards from scrimmage and 13 total touchdowns in two years with the Chiefs in the regular season.
The league’s deadline for all players to announce their decisions to opt out or play is coming up on August 3.