Running back DeAngelo Williams made an appearance on a podcast with Adam Schefter of ESPN last week and said he “definitely” plans on playing during the 2017 season.
During that appearance, Williams also said that while his desire to play is strong there are four teams he would not join. Schefter followed up with Williams about that this week and the veteran back revealed those teams.
One was the Panthers, who drafted Williams and employed him for his first nine seasons in the NFL. Williams cited the way his departure was handled as the reason why he wouldn’t return to the team.
Williams also struck the Browns and Jaguars and said that their lack of recent winning seasons was behind that stance. The Cowboys round out the group with Williams using his childhood support of the 49ers to explain his distaste for Dallas.
The Cowboys also have Ezekiel Elliott as their started and Darren McFadden as their backup, so there isn’t much reason to think anyone with the team is crestfallen by Williams’ revelation. The other three teams also have things squared away fairly well at running back, something that is true for much of the league at this point and something that may leave Williams waiting for an injury before he lands a contract for the coming season.
Given that, it seems less than wise to publicly declare an unwillingness to play for any teams since one of the aforementioned clubs may wind up giving Williams the best chance to continue his career. If that’s the case, Williams’ candidness could wind up working against him.