The New Orleans Saints‘ running back room is already incredibly thin, and the club might have lost another option. Jamaal Williams left Monday’s game against the Carolina Panthers and headed to the locker room. What happened to Williams, and what’s his current injury status?
Jamaal Williams Injury Update
UPDATE, Sept. 19: Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Saints head coach Dennis Allen suggested Williams could miss extended time after suffering a hamstring injury on Monday night.
Dennis Allen seemed to indicate Jamaal Williams could be out for a bit with the hamstring injury
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) September 19, 2023
Third-round rookie Kendre Miller — dealing with his own hamstring injury — could be available for Week 3. He’d likely rotate snaps with Tony Jones Jr. if available. Alvin Kamara can return from suspension in Week 4.
Sept. 18: It’s unclear when Williams was injured, but he wasn’t on the field when the Saints were near the goal line in the second quarter.
Williams first went to the blue medical tent before leaving to locker room.
The Saints initially announced Williams was questionable to return with a hamstring injury, but they changed his status to doubtful near the end of the third quarter.
Jamaal Williams is doubtful to return with a hamstring injury
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) September 19, 2023
New Orleans is already without Alvin Kamara, who is serving a three-game suspension. Third-round rookie Kendre Miller, expected to help carry the early-season load alongside Williams, hasn’t been able to suit up in 2023 as he deals with his own hamstring injury.
As such, Tony Jones Jr. — elevated from the Saints’ practice squad before tonight’s game — is the only RB remaining on New Orleans’ roster. Derek Carr tried to hit Jones for a touchdown pass when Williams was on the sideline, but the two couldn’t get on the same page.
If the Saints need another back on Monday night, they’ll likely turn to jack-of-all-trades Taysom Hill to handle carries — he’s already taken four attempts so far tonight.
Kamara will return in Week 4, but if Williams is sidelined next Sunday, New Orleans may need to add another RB, depending on where Miller stands with his recovery. Jones and Jordan Mims are the only backs on the club’s practice squad.
Williams, 28, scored an NFL-leading 17 rushing touchdowns for the Detroit Lions in 2022. After feeling “disrespected” by Detroit’s offer in free agency, Williams inked a three-year, $12 million deal with the Saints.
Fantasy Fallout From Williams’ Injury
Williams exited the game in the second quarter of the team’s Monday Night Football matchup with the Panthers due to a hamstring injury. Williams ran for 29 yards on nine carries until he was seen walking toward the locker room during the team’s fourth offensive possession of the game.
MORE: PFN’s NFL and Fantasy Player News Tracker
The Saints are already thin at running back, with Kamara his suspension to start the season and Miller inactive for a second straight game with a hamstring injury. Expect Jones Jr. to see a lot of work for the remainder of the game if Williams cannot return to this contest.
— PFN Fantasy Analyst Derek Tate