Jamaal Williams Cut By Saints; Updated NFL Depth Chart, Salary Cap After RB Released

The New Orleans Saints are releasing veteran running back Jamaal Williams, according to multiple reports, a move that will free them from his $3.1 million base salary in 2025.

The Saints remain in financial hell, despite the move, and are approximately $45 million over the cap for next season.

But the team still has Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jordan Mims and Xazavian Valladay under contract at the running back position. Kamara will be the starter, while the backup role remains up in the air, with Miller and Edwards-Helaire currently the most likely options.

Williams' release saves the Saints just under $1.6 million against the cap while incurring $2.3 million in dead money. It is the first of many cap-cutting moves to come, which thus far has included the reworking of Ryan Ramczyk's deal (he's expected to retire).

The 29-year-old Williams didn't fare well in his two seasons with the Saints, rushing for a total of 470 yards and two touchdowns, a far cry from his fantastic 2022 season with the Detroit Lions (1,066 rushing yards, 17 touchdowns) that earned him a three-year, $12 million deal with the Saints in free agency.

As for the Saints' rough salary cap situation, one way to approach the issue would be to restructure Derek Carr's deal. The veteran quarterback currently has a cap hit of $51.4 million, though ESPN's Katherine Terrell noted that restructuring his deal would provide around $31 million in cap space (though it would also increase his cap hit in 2026 to around $69 million, his final year under contract).

Other restructures and releases will likely follow as well. Williams is just one of the first dominoes to fall.