As the 2022 free agency period draws near, the Kansas City Chiefs have a ton of decisions to make regarding the roster. They have 25 players set to hit the free-agent market (restricted and unrestricted), including fan favorites like Tyrann Mathieu, Jerick McKinnon, and others.
Over the last week, we’ve taken a look at a few free agent player profiles to better understand what’s at stake for the Chiefs when considering their options, and today we turn our attention to running back Darrel Williams.
Williams was an undrafted free agent back in 2018 out of LSU, where he made the roster the same season. As time progressed, he became a valued backup/rotational running back that could step up when needed. However that was about to change in the 2021-22 season.
Due to multiple injuries to Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Williams started in seven games; additionally, Williams would go onto post 1,010 total yards from scrimmage, marking his first 1,000+ yard season of his young career (558 on the ground, 442 from the air). Williams proved to be a dual-threat back that can be highly reliable in the Chiefs’ pass-heavy offense.
As we survey the Kansas City Chiefs free agents-to-be, let’s explore the case for bringing back running back Darrel Williams for the 2022 season.
Williams has carried the ball 237 times for 912 yards with 10 rushing touchdowns in his career, averaging 3.9 yards per run. He has been targeted 105 times in the passing game with 83 catches for 762 yards and 4 touchdowns, averaging 9.6 yards per reception with a 79% catch percentage. Williams’s most recent contract was a one-year, $1.6 million deal with $880k guaranteed.
With that all said, let’s examine the pros and cons of bringing him back on board, what Williams would offer in 2022, and the decision of whether or not he’ll be on the roster next season.
The case to bring him back
First, Williams is a lethal threat in the receiving game, something he clearly showed this season. Amongst NFL RBs in 2021, Williams ranked 13th in targets and 11th in catches; however, he ranked 5th in receiving yards and 10th in receiving yards per game. Remember, he only started in 7 games and played in 48% of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps. And he posted a 101 receiving yard game against the Raiders in Week 10, where he caught all nine of his targets while mossing a defensive back on a touchdown reception. He’s a talented receiving back.
Second, Williams is still young as a running back and is in his prime. Once the 2022-23 regular-season starts, he’ll be 27. This is where usually running backs hit their prime and have some of their best productive seasons. With Williams trending up exponentially this past season, there aren’t many indicators pointing to him trending down aside from not getting as many starts as this season.
Third, Williams has been good as a short-yardage back and a goal-line power-type back. Most of his rushing touchdowns came from the goal line (he had two one-yard touchdowns in Week 17), and he was able to generate 40 first downs on the ground, most stemming from short yardage. He won’t hit you with a home run; however, he can move the chains.
Finally, he would be reasonably cheap to bring on board the production he brings to the table. According to Spotrac, Williams would garner a $2.2 million annual salary. He has earned this pay raise, and I can see the Chiefs giving him a little more than the market value to keep him on board for a few more seasons.
The case to let him walk
While Williams is good in short-yardage situations, overall, he hasn’t been the best at running the rock. Williams averages 3.9 yards per run, which is tied for 45th in the NFL among NFL running backs; furthermore, he had 558 rushing yards, ranking 40th overall. Receiving is his claim to fame, and it’s understandable; he’s excellent in that regard. However, players like Helaire and McKinnon do it better in the rushing attack.
Recommendation
My recommendation would be for the Chiefs to re-sign Darrel Williams for a couple of seasons. The pros outweigh the cons. Williams will give you solid to outstanding production night in and out, and he won’t be that expensive to bring back. He’s someone who knows his role, and if he’s needed to be the starter, he can do just that. The Chiefs also have McKinnon potentially leaving as a free agent, which means Edwards-Helaire is the only holdover back.
Williams has spent his four-year career with the Chiefs and has improved each season. I think it’s safe to say that Williams has earned himself another contract and a few more years with the Chiefs.
Prediction
The Chiefs sign Darrel Williams to a two-year, $4.8 million contract to keep him through his prime years.
Do you believe the Chiefs will re-sign running back Darrel Williams? Leave a comment below to join the discussion Thanks for reading, and have a fantastic day!