Staley Da Bear
Well-known member
- Mar 16, 2019
- 2,085
- 0
Williams conceded he was concerned that opting out of the 2020 season could hurt his career, but that thought provided all the motivation he needed to stay in shape.
"Of course that crosses your mind," Williams said. "You're thinking, 'Oh, man, you're sitting at home. You're missing a year out.' That affects you at the end of the day just because you're not out there doing the reps, putting the time in. But that's when you sit at home and really grind. When no one's watching, that's when you want to work the hardest, so coming back was really easy."
The last time Williams played in a game, his record-breaking performance helped the Chiefs rally to beat the 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl LIV. With Kansas City trailing 20-17 in the fourth quarter, he caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to give the Chiefs a 24-20 lead with 2:44 remaining and then scored a second TD on a 38-yard run to clinch the victory with 1:12 to play.
In rushing for 104 yards, Williams became the first NFL player to run for at least 100 yards and produce rushing and receiving touchdowns in a Super Bowl.
Williams, 29, brings versatility and experience to the Bears, having appeared in 85 NFL games with 13 starts over six seasons with the Dolphins (2014-17) and Chiefs (2018-19). The 5-11, 221-pounder has rushed for 1,231 yards and 12 touchdowns on 294 carries and caught 138 passes for 1,106 yards and 10 TDs.
Williams entered the NFL with Miami in 2014 as an undrafted free agent from Oklahoma. Playing for the Super Bowl champion Chiefs in 2019, he established career highs with 498 yards rushing, five rushing touchdowns and 30 receptions.
Williams wanted to resume his career with Bears this year in part because their offense is similar to the scheme he played in with the Chiefs.
"Sitting out a year and then coming back, I really didn't want to learn a whole new system," Williams said. "Coming here and kind of having the same system, same plays, it was easy for me. And then meeting the coaches, meeting everybody in the building, it was just easy for me."