Kansas City Chiefs: Bold Predictions for 2019 Season

BOLD PREDICTION #2

DAMIEN WILLIAMS WILL NOT GET WORKLOAD FANS ANTICIPATED

In a vacuum, Damien Williams is the perfect running back for this Chiefs offense. He is a very good pass-catcher out of the backfield and it was showcased against the 49ers in the third preseason game. However, he will not be the workhorse that many are believing, one way or another.

Andy Reid loves to have a bellcow, even back to his Brain Westbrook days. If Reid chooses to use Williams the way he did LeSean McCoy (heh) with the Eagles and Kareem Hunt the last few seasons, he will not physically be able to withstand it.

Williams has never had more than 50 rushes in one season and that season was last year. To think – He will just suddenly take on 272 carries as Hunt did his rookie year is absurd. It would be naive to think Reid doesn’t know this.

The more likely outcome is that the backfield will be a committee led by Williams. If Reid deploys this, it will most certainly keep Williams from meeting the expectations placed on him. Darwin Thompson and Darrel Williams should get significant time and this will be an approach that keeps everyone on the field and healthy, something all teams desire.

He has already had a hamstring injury that kept him out of most of training camp and his 5″11, 212 pound frame cannot support a huge workload in his first year as a full-time starter.