The Kansas City Chiefs are back at full-strength offensively. According to team beat writer BJ Kissel, first-string running back Damien Williams returned to the practice field on Wednesday after suffering a hamstring injury early in training camp.
Damien Williams is back at practice today for the #Chiefs.
— Chiefs Reporter (@ChiefsReporter) August 7, 2019
Williams missed just more than a week of practices while recovering from his injury. Though coach Andy Reid admitted the six-year veteran “missed quite a bit, missed a lot of plays” while he was sidelined, Kansas City was adamant throughout Williams' absence that he would retain his grasp as the team's clear-cut No. 1 running back.
The assumption was that the Chiefs' historic offense would take a step back following the release of Kareem Hunt last November. Kansas City cut the former Pro Bowler almost immediately after video surfaced of him assaulting a woman at a Cleveland hotel in February 2018. Hunt, who led the NFL in rushing as a rookie in 2017, signed with the Cleveland Browns in February, and is suspended for the first eight games of 2019 as a result of violating the league's personal conduct policy.
But Williams, signed to a two-year extension in late December, proved more than capable of shouldering the myriad responsibilities Kansas City requires from its featured back. He had 50 carries for 256 yards and four touchdowns last season, adding 23 catches for 160 yards and two touchdowns. Williams was especially effective when it mattered most, rushing for 129 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries in the Chiefs’ divisional-round playoff win over the Indianapolis Colts, then scoring three times during the team’s heartbreaking loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game.
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