Report: Bears, Damien Williams Agree to One-Year Deal

Former Chiefs running back Damien Williams, who opted out of the 2020 season, is reportedly headed to Chicago.

The Bears have agreed to a one-year deal with former Super Bowl champion Damien Williams, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 

The running back emerged as a hero during the Chiefs historic 2019 playoff run. He was used as a backup for most of their title campaign, but Williams scored six touchdowns during the postseason, including 133 total yards and two touchdowns in a Super Bowl LIV victory over the 49ers.

Williams, then, opted out of the 2020 season because his mother is fighting stage four cancer, and Williams was concerned about potentially exposing her to COVID-19 if he played. 

The Super Bowl LIV star was released from Kansas City last week to help create salary cap space. The move "stunned" Williams, The Athletic reported. 

In his two seasons with the Chiefs, Williams tallied 161 carries for 754 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. He added another 53 catches for 373 yards and four receiving touchdowns.

From my understanding, Damien Williams was stunned to learned the Chiefs were releasing him. He was preparing to return to the team after opting out last season.

The Chiefs, who remain very active in pursuing free agents, cleared $2.1 million in cap space with such a move.

— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) March 16, 2021

Bears coach Matt Nagy previously served as the Chiefs' offensive coordinator, though he didn't overlap with Williams. Chicago offensive coordinator Bill Lazor spent two seasons as the Dolphins' offensive coordinator, overlapping with Williams's four-year stint in Miami. 

Where Williams will fit into Chicago's lineup is something to monitor as the Bears have David Montgomery, who is coming off of his first 1,000-yard season, and Tarik Cohen is one of their key receiving backs.