Chad Williams joins Chiefs practice squad for second time

The Chiefs have re-signed wide receiver/returner Chad Williams.

The Kansas City Chiefs have decided to bring back a familiar face to the team’s practice squad in wide receiver and returner Chad Williams. It’s Williams’ second stint with the team in 2020.

The Chiefs first signed Williams at the end of September as a replacement for undrafted free agent Kalija Lipscomb out of Vanderbilt, who the team had released just before bringing in Williams. He would last nearly two months on the team’s practice squad before being released again in mid-November. However, it’s clear the team likes something about Williams’ potential as they’ve brought him back into the fold.

Williams first entered the National Football League as the third-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals back in the 2017 NFL Draft (the same round in which the Chiefs landed running back Kareem Hunt). He was a small-school prospect out of Grambling State who came with solid size at 6’2″, 200-plus pounds as well as decent speed to compete at wide receiver as well as returner for the Cardinals.

Williams showed impressive strength  (21 bench press reps) and speed (4.37 seconds in the 40-yard dash) at his pro day. Given his production during his senior season of 90 catches for 1,337 yards and 11 touchdowns, Williams looked ready for a potential leap forward in competition to the NFL. However, some off-the-field issues allowed his stock to drop and he almost fell to Day 3 of the draft until the Cardinals stopped his slide.

Unfortunately, Williams wouldn’t last long in Arizona. Bruce Arians criticized him for showing up out of shape as a rookie and he could never dig himself out of the hoe he began in. The Indianapolis Colts would also give him a chance to turn heads, but Williams couldn’t carve out a long-term home there as well. Now he will hope the Chiefs will give him a longer look down the stretch and perhaps into 2021 with a reserve/futures deal.

Williams, who just turned 26, has 20 catches for 202 yards and 1 touchdown in his NFL career.