Patrick Mahomes may have a lot more money going into the 2020 season, when he and the Kansas City Chiefs will seek to defend their Super Bowl title. But the MVP quarterback will not have at least two offensive starting teammates from the 2019 KC title race. Days after right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif became the first NFL player to publicly opt for the upcoming season as a result of COVID-19 concerns, running back Damien Williams has also stated that he will be left out of the 2020 season, as the Chiefs announced. Wednesday.
“As an organization, we certainly understand and respect Damien’s choice, knowing that it was made in the best interest of his family,” CEO Brett Veach said in a statement. “It means a lot to our football team as a player and as a person, and we will miss having him around this season.”
Williams himself does not appear to fall under the NFL’s “high risk” designation as an opt-out option. On Thursday, however, he explained why he will skip the season: His mother was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. (The CDC lists cancer as a factor for an increased risk of serious disease from COVID-19.) Williams also has a wife and young daughter at home.
“It was difficult,” the RB told SiriusXM NFL Radio. “My mom is my rock, my everything … My mom, she just said, ‘Whatever the decision (you make), I’m behind you’ … Soccer is my life, especially after leaving a championship and want to do a replay, which, you know, I know they’re going to handle that. But at the end of the day, this was personal. “
Under the revised NFL collective bargaining agreement, players can decide to skip the 2020 season even if they don’t meet the criteria to be considered at risk for serious COVID-19 illness; they simply receive a $ 150,000 advance on their contract, which is paid for one season, rather than a $ 350,000 stipend.
Williams has never started a full season, appearing in six games with his career best record as No. 1 RB for Kansas City in 2019, but he’s fresh out of an MVP-caliber performance in Super Bowl LIV, in which he led both the Chiefs and the Chiefs. San Francisco 49ers with 104 rushing yards. Originally an undrafted addition to the Miami Dolphins, the 28-year veteran established himself as the best running back in coach Andy Reid’s rotation at the stretch in 2019, totaling 290 yards and six touchdowns in all three Kansas City playoff games.
Williams ‘absence has big implications for the Chiefs’ offense, not to mention fantasy football. Without Williams in the RB depth chart, first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire is likely to see his shares rise, possibly in the first round of the draft. In fact, Dave Richard of CBS Sports believes that Edwards-Helaire compares favorably with former Chiefs standout Kareem Hunt, and could be considered a top 10 PPR target, making him a possible block for the first round of most fantasy drafts.
