Jamaal Williams became a Detroit Lions fan-favorite over the past two seasons, so his goodbye after signing with the Saints will hit right in the feels.
If you’d have told the majority of Detroit Lions fans that they’d fall in love with a Green Bay Packer, they’d have likely laughed you out of whatever building was then being occupied. But fast-forward to Wednesday with running back Jamaal Williams, who signed in Detroit after leaving Green Bay in the 2021 offseason, now departing the Lions for the New Orleans Saints in free agency.
Williams inked a three-year, $12 million deal with the Saints on Wednesday, not long after Detroit landed former Bear David Montgomery on the open market.
In the wake of the news, the newfound fan-favorite in the Motor City expressed his heartfelt fondness for the city, the organization and the fans as he said his goodbye to the Lions on Twitter.
Jamaal Williams’ farewell to Lions will tug at Lions fans’ heartstrings
Williams was not only highly effective on the football field to help endear himself to fans in Detroit, but his interviews and off-field quirks also helped to accomplish that. Whether it was his affinity for anime, a love of Pokémon, his raw emotion, taking time with fans at training camp or after games, or a litany of other things, he truly won the city and the fanbase over.
This departure seemed likely in recent days, despite both the franchise and player expressing interest in a reunion. All told, Montgomery is probably an upgrade, but he’ll have big shoes to fill moving forward given how beloved Williams became.
If one thing’s for certain, though, it’s that fans in the Big Easy will soon have a new favorite player once Williams gets in the building. Even if he doesn’t lead the NFL in touchdowns again, there’s more to Jamaal Williams winning you over than just that.