If you watched Bears defensive tackle Nick Williams this season, you wouldn’t have known he was a veteran that suddenly burst onto the NFL scene in his seventh season.
Williams had a career season with the Bears, where he stepped up when his team needed him as they dealt with injuries on the defensive line with Akiem Hicks and Bilal Nichols. And Williams didn’t just play good — he played great in all 16 games he appeared in, including five starts.
“The way it happened, nobody could’ve wrote a better story,” Williams said. “Being on the street in ’17 and the Bears giving me a shot in ’18, coming back here in ’19 and actually being able to contribute to the team and play the way that I did. I just wanted to gain the respect of my teammates and let the organization and the coaches know that they made a good decision in bringing me in.”
Williams finished the season with 42 total tackles, including five for loss, as well as six sacks. This season has certainly opened many eyes to Williams, which bodes well for him in free agency. But Williams would prefer to remain in Chicago.
“I think I’m gonna have fun in free agency this year,” said Williams. “We’ll see what happens in the future. Obviously, I want to be back here. I want to be a Bear. I love this organization. They’ve afforded me a lot of great opportunities. I like this locker room. I like my teammates. We’ll see what happens.”
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