New Orleans Saints put Jamaal Williams on IR list for hamstring injury

On Saturday, the New Orleans Saints announced that they had placed veteran running back Jamaal Williams on injury reserve. Williams had suffered a hamstring injury during the team’s victory match against the Carolina Panthers last Monday, which he had to leave early.

The injury requires him to recover for at least four weeks before potentially returning to the active roster. Williams will miss a minimum of four games, starting with Sunday’s matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

The upcoming month for New Orleans includes an NFC South showdown with the Buccaneers in Week 4 at home. They will also go on a two-game road trip to New England in Week 5 and Houston in Week 6.

Williams’ earliest potential return is in Week 7 on Thursday, October 19, when the Saints face the Jacksonville Jaguars at home. Tony Jones Jr. and rookie Kendre Miller will take on the lead running back duties in Week 3.

Taysom Hill is also expected to have more carries. Notably, star running back Alvin Kamara will return to the team in Week 4 after serving his suspension this week.

While the Saints have depth in their running back corps, the extended absence of Williams remains a significant setback. It will be at least another month before New Orleans can field its full 2023 backfield lineup.

Stepping in for Kamara’s suspension

During his time with the Detroit Lions in 2021, Williams had a standout season. He achieved over 1,000 rushing yards and led the league with 17 rushing touchdowns. The Californian running back’s performance during the season earned him the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award for Week 18.

As of September 2023, Williams has officially joined the Saints on his seventh NFL season. He had quite a crucial role as he was stepping in for Kamara, who was on his three-game suspension due to a personal conduct policy violation stemming from a February 2022 arrest.

Prior to his recent hamstring injury, Williams’ struggled to perform for the Saints. He managed to tally only 74 yards on 27 carries and seven yards on two receptions.

More Saints players to miss upcoming games

Earlier in the week, the league announced a three-game suspension for safety Marcus Maye due to a violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy. His suspension followed the resolution of his 2021 DUI case in Florida last month.

The safety had gone through six months of probation after reaching a plea deal in the case. He is also the second of two starters currently serving suspensions alongside his teammate Kamara.

Starting outside cornerback Paulson Adebo and tight end Foster Moreau will also be unavailable next Monday. Adebo was ruled out due to a hamstring injury sustained late in the practice week. Meanwhile, Moreau was downgraded to out on Saturday due to an ankle injury.

Rookie safety Jordan Howden is very likely to replace Maye. Howden has been primarily featured in sub packages earlier this season. Meanwhile, Isaac Yiadom, who is listed behind Adebo on the depth chart, might step in if the Saints opt to keep starting slot corner Alontae Taylor in his position.

With many players absent due to injuries and suspensions, the Saints must rely heavily on their rookies.