Damien Williams proved he’s a No. 1 back by powering the Chiefs to a Super Bowl win

Chiefs coach Andy Reid had faith in Damien Williams. He trusted him so much he made LeSean McCoy, who led all Kansas City tailbacks in starts (nine) and yards per rush (4.6), a healthy scratch before Super Bowl 54.

Williams rewarded that faith. The former undrafted free agent and Miami Dolphins castoff came into the postseason with little fanfare. He ended it as a legitimate Super Bowl MVP candidate.

The six-year veteran became the first running back in the game’s history to run for more than 100 yards while scoring rushing and receiving touchdowns. His two fourth-quarter touchdowns tied a Super Bowl record, giving his Chiefs the lead before slamming the door shut on the Niners’ comeback hopes minutes later.

It was a monster performance from a running back whose 498 rushing yards during the regular season nearly doubled his career best. If he can keep it up, he could be a cantilever to Patrick Mahomes’ video game passing attack in Kansas City.

The Chiefs signed Williams to play backup to Kareem Hunt. They couldn’t have foreseen him playing like a Super Bowl MVP less than two years later.

His one-year, $1.2 million contract in the 2018 offseason was the 228th most valuable contract awarded that spring. It made sense. In four years with the Dolphins, he had just 133 carries and averaged a meager 3.6 yards per touch. While he’d been useful as a pass catcher out of the backfield, he’d only made 85 receptions in his first 58 games, averaging an unimpressive 6.4 yards per target.

Even so, Reid and general manager Brett Veach bet those struggles were more related to a poor fit alongside Miami head coach Adam Gase than any glaring deficiencies as a player. When Hunt was released after footage of him assaulting a woman came to light in late 2018, Williams stepped out of a complementary role and into the spotlight. He started the final five games of that season — three regular season and two playoff games — and ran for 362 yards and five touchdowns (at an efficient 5.2 yards per carry). He also added three receiving touchdowns.

This uptick went relatively unnoticed against the backdrop of Mahomes’ MVP season and his team’s crushing defeat against the Patriots in the AFC title game. Williams made sure he wasn’t ignorable in the next postseason.

After sharing time with McCoy early in the 2019 season and dealing with a rib injury that kept him off the field in Weeks 13-15, Williams proved to be a reliable presence in the biggest games of the year once more. When the Chiefs needed a Week 17 win to secure a first-round bye, Williams came through with 124 yards and two touchdowns against the Chargers.

He ran for only 92 yards in the two playoff games that followed as Mahomes launched Kansas City back from early double-digit deficits, but he still found the end zone four times in those wins. Then came Super Bowl 54, where he put together an MVP-worthy performance and effectively clinched the Chiefs’ comeback victory by darting 38 yards for the game’s final touchdown.

He has yet to play in a postseason game without scoring at least once.

Williams will go into 2020 as the most accomplished of the four tailbacks Kansas City currently has under contract. McCoy will be a 32-year-old free agent, and the three other runners — Darrel Williams, Marcus Marshall, and Darwin Thompson — combined for only 269 rushing yards in 2019.

That means Williams’ seventh season could be the first where he begins the year alone atop an NFL team’s depth chart. While he’s a bit long in the tooth for a first-time RB1, his limited use means he’s got a lot fewer miles on his odometer than most other 28-year-old runners. At 378 career carries, he’s run the ball less in his six seasons than Le’Veon Bell did between Dec. 11, 2016 to Dec. 25, 2017.

The downside is he’s relatively unproven as a feature back. Williams only has 10 regular season games in his NFL career with double-digit carries, though he’s hit that mark in all five of his playoff appearances with the Chiefs. The returns in those games are encouraging: 72 rushing yards per game, 5.2 yards per carry, and 13 rushing touchdowns in 15 contests. He’s also made 58 catches, including six touchdowns

There’s even more reason for optimism. He’ll have Reid and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who still has yet to be lured to a head coaching position in the NFL, carving out his path in the playbooks once more in 2020. That duo was responsible for turning him from Dolphins afterthought to the latest example of Gase’s mismanagement as a head coach. They’re the ones that had him pirouetting en route to Super Bowl first downs.

Williams has exceeded expectations since coming to Kansas City. That’s the kind of performance that should get rewarded in Reid’s system with a steady diet of carries next season.

There’s plenty of time for the Chiefs to shuffle Williams back into a supporting role. This year’s draft will be loaded with tailbacks; SB Nation’s Dan Kadar has Kansas City selecting LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire late in the second round in his latest mock draft. Though the team has precious little salary cap space this offseason, it could target relatively low-cost options like Jordan Howard, Matt Breida, or Lamar Miller in free agency. Thompson, a wrecking ball at Utah State before coming to Kansas City as a sixth-round pick last spring, could work his way into more carries.

If Kansas City holds tight, its ground game will still be in good hands. Turning to Williams for 150+ carries next fall is a risk, but he’s passed almost every test Reid’s thrown his way since signing him.

Super Bowl 54 may have been Williams’ breakthrough game — but the way the Chiefs are trending, 2020 could wind up being his breakthrough season.