Aaron Rodgers: Packers RB Jamaal Williams Has ‘A Little Bit Something Different To Him This Year’

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah –  Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers said that former BYU and current Packers running back Jamaal Williams has “a little bit something different to him this year.”

Rodgers recently joined The Pat McAfee Show to preview Green Bay’s roster and the upcoming 2020 NFL season.

During the interview, the Packers QB was asked which player on Green Bay’s roster had impressed him during training camp and is poised for a “breakout year.”

“I think, one guy in particular came back, not a first or second year player but Jamaal Williams came back and had a little bit something different to him this year,” Rodgers said. “He posted a bunch of Instagram videos during the off-season and he would send me most of them first. ‘I’m working on this.’ And he’s running these deep shake routes, post corner route, and option routes, and all these different things. And I just kept telling him, ‘Man like, you know, you look great.’ But then he shows up and he’s just, you know, a half step quicker. The agility is there. The burst is a little bit more. So I give him a lot of credit for the way that he grew.”

Rodgers continued by highlighting that Williams is entering his fourth NFL season (all with the Packers). The quarterback said that typically players experience “big jumps” in their game between their rookie and second season or their third year to fourth.

“You know a lot of times the big jumps come between years one and two and two or three. This guy’s going into his fourth season, coming off a year last year where he had multiple games in a row with touchdown catches, and is an important part of our offense,” Rodgers continued. “Aaron Jones obviously had a ton of touchdowns last year but Jamaal is a big part of what we’re doing. And I think he kind of saw what Aaron did and said ‘I need to come back and be a little bit bigger factor in the receiving game.’ Because you need two backs in this league. So I think Jamaal has had a fantastic camp and I’m excited about what he’s done. And the thing that he does as well is he just brings so much energy to a football team. So he’s gonna be an important part of what we’re doing.”

Aaron Rodgers to @PatMcAfeeShow on a potential breakout player for the Packers: "One guy in particular that came back… Jamaal Williams came back and had a little bit something different this year."

"I think Jamaal has had a fantastic camp."

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 9, 2020

Jamaal Williams in the NFL

After a college career at BYU, Williams was selected by the Packers during the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

During his first three seasons, the former BYU ball carrier has seen action in 46 games, including 17 starts.

Williams has ran the ball 381 times for 1,480 yards and 8 touchdowns. Out of the backfield, Williams has 91 catches for 725 yards and 7 touchdowns.

The former BYU running back helped the Packers reach the NFC Championship game.

Jamaal Williams at BYU

Prior to his time in the NFL, Williams starred at running back for the Cougars of BYU.

He played in Provo from 2012-14, 2016. He was a Doak Walker award nominee three times during his college career.

During his time at BYU, Williams recorded 726 carries for 3,901 yards, and 35 touchdowns. In his senior season, he set BYU’s school record for single game rushing yards with 286 yards.

Williams left Provo as the Cougars’ all-time leader in career rushing yards, rush attempts, and 100-yard games.