The New England Patriots worked out veteran running back Jamaal Williams on Tuesday but did not offer him a contract.
The visit appeared on the NFL’s daily transaction report. Williams, 31, last played in 2024 and spent the entire 2025 season out of the league while looking for another opportunity.
Cornerback Al’Zillion Hamilton, who also worked out for New England the same day, was signed to the practice squad. Williams left without a deal.
The Packers selected Williams in the fourth round of the 2017 draft out of BYU. He played four seasons in Green Bay, two with the Detroit Lions and two with the New Orleans Saints.
He has 4,122 career rushing yards and 1,310 receiving yards across 117 games. Those totals include 40 touchdowns, 32 on the ground and eight as a receiver.
His best season came in 2022 with Detroit. Williams carried 262 times for 1,066 yards and led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns that year.
Output fell after he joined the Saints. He rushed for 306 yards on 106 carries in 2023, scoring once.
In 2024 he appeared in 14 games and gained 164 yards on 48 carries, again with one touchdown. He also caught nine passes for 57 yards that season.
Williams averaged 3.9 yards per carry over his career. His longest run was 58 yards, recorded during the 2022 campaign.
The Patriots entered Tuesday at 2-2 after a 29-26 win at the Buffalo Bills in Week 4. They host the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson are the top two running backs on the active roster. Corey Kiner is also listed at the position, and Lan Larison is on the practice squad.
New England has used a committee approach early in the season. Stevenson has handled the larger share of snaps in recent weeks while Henderson has contributed as a change-of-pace option.
Teams routinely bring in free agents for workouts at this point in the year to gauge depth. Williams’ session fits that pattern, even though no signing followed.
He remains available if another club shows interest. His history as a short-yardage and goal-line option is the clearest part of his resume after eight NFL seasons.
