KC Wolf
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- Mar 19, 2019
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The last time Damien Williams was on the field, he gained 133 yards and scored two touchdowns on 21 touches in Super Bowl LIV. In fact, in his final four games in 2019, the then-Chiefs running back had 73 touches for 444 yards and eight touchdowns.
Williams, though, opted out of 2020 over COVID-19 concerns, and the Chiefs moved on in March after Clyde Edwards-Helaire had a solid rookie season.
Williams signed a one-year deal with the Bears, and he is eager to prove that, at the age of 29, he still has it.
“That whole year was. . . man,” Williams said, via Jason Leiser of the Sun-Times. “Being home and watching it really made me feel like this was something I wanted to do as long as possible — until the wheels fall off. I wasn’t ready to sit down at home.
“I feel like one of the rookie kids. First day back, new guy in the building. I’m just embracing it all right now.”
It came as no surprise that the Bears, with former Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy as their head coach, wanted Williams. Williams was just as eager to play in a familiar scheme.
“Coming here and having the same system, same plays, it was easy for me,” Williams said.
David Montgomery had a team-leading 1,070 yards last season, but he didn’t have his first 100-yard game until Thanksgiving weekend. Cordarrelle Patterson, the team’s second-leading rusher with 232 yards, averaged only 3.6 yards a carry. Tarik Cohen tore his ACL in Week 3.
Enter Montgomery for 2021.
“He’s very well rounded,” Nagy said Wednesday. “It’s just a really good fit. The [Kansas City] coaches spoke really well of him . . . and Damien’s come in here like a true pro and just digested everything that we’re doing.
“He’s a great complement to what we’re trying to do. It’ll be fun when we get to the preseason to see how all these guys do, but there’s a really good vibe right now.”