The Denver Broncos are finalizing a one-year contract with defensive lineman DeShawn Williams, Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post first reported Friday morning.
Terms of the deal are not yet known, but it will presumably be for less than $2.433 million. That’s the cost of a right of first refusal tender, which Denver opted not to place on Williams, letting him become a free agent before re-signing.
Fans could tell this deal was in the works — Williams hinted about the possibility of his return on Thursday with a video posted on Twitter, and newly signed defensive lineman DJ Jones mentioned Williams among his new teammates during his introductory press conference Thursday.
Williams (6-1, 292 pounds) entered the league as a college free agent out of Clemson with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2015. After a three-year run with the Bengals, he had a bumpy two-year run that included stints with three different teams, including two different stints with the Broncos.
Williams had been cut 10 times by four NFL teams when he joined the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League in 2019. After one season in the CFL, Williams returned to Denver for a third stint with the team in 2020.
Williams had a breakout season in 2020, totaling 37 tackles, six quarterback hits and two sacks as an 11-game fill-in starter. He then began the 2021 season as a rotational defensive lineman before being thrust into starting duties again, earning eight starts last year.
Over the last two seasons with the Broncos, Williams has recorded 76 tackles, 11 QB hits, three sacks and five pass breakups. He will likely serve as a rotational defender this fall.
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