The running back position is one of the most ruthless jobs a professional football player can pursue to make a living. Not only has the position been devalued in recent years, but the longevity of a career at that spot is one of the shortest in the league.
This has left one former Green Bay Packers fourth-round pick scrambling as he searches for a new home ahead of the 2025 campaign. After missing out on a chance with the hated Chicago Bears following a tryout, the veteran rusher was just passed up for another opportunity. This time, within the AFC East.
According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Houston, former Packers running back Jamaal Williams recently worked out for the Miami Dolphins but was not the player who ultimately came away with a contract. Instead, that opportunity went to seven-year veteran Mike Boone.
#Dolphins signed Mike Boone, also worked out Royce Freeman, Aaron Shampklin, Jamaal Williams
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) August 12, 2025
Former Packers RB Jamaal Williams Rejected by Another NFL Team
Williams is just two seasons removed from leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns with a career-best 17 scores. Yet, for some reason, he cannot find a job anywhere in the league this offseason. That trend continued this week with the Dolphins passing him up for another running back who doesn't have anywhere near the resume that Williams does.
With each passing day, the likelihood that Williams finds a new home in the NFL before Week 1 gets lower. That is just the fact of the matter. Whether the tryouts aren't going as well as Williams would hope, or he isn't the right fit for what a particular team needs at this time, the weight of being rejected time and time again must be impacting him.
In Williams' final season as a member of the Detroit Lions, he rushed for 1,066 yards and the 17 touchdowns referenced above in just nine starts. He didn't come close to those types of numbers after signing with the New Orleans Saints, but the fact that he only carried the ball 154 times over two seasons cannot be ignored.
Theoretically, despite being on the wrong side of the age of 30, Williams should be relatively fresh after two seasons where his usage was significantly decreased from his career-best campaign in 2022. While one would think that could be a selling point for Williams and his representation in this process, it doesn't seem to be making him more attractive as a candidate for running back jobs across the league than similarly aged players who have accomplished much less.
What happens next for Williams is anyone's guess at this point. It would be hard to imagine him not finding a job somewhere within the league, but that is his reality at this point.