NFL Free Agency: Jonathan Williams signs new contract

After playing for the Washington Commanders during the 2021 and 2022 campaigns, Jonathan Williams now knows what team he’ll be playing for next season in the National Football League. According to the Washington Commanders’ Twitter page, Williams is staying in Washington to play for the Commanders. The contract is a one-year deal, per the announcement.

Jonathan Williams played his college football with Arkansas

Williams was a fifth round pick out of Arkansas in the 2016 NFL Draft. He spent his first season in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills (2016), before also suiting up with the New Orleans Saints (2018), Indianapolis Colts (2019), Detroit Lions (2020), and the Washington Commanders (2021 & 2022).

During six seasons in the National Football League thus far, Williams has 134 attempts for 565 rushing yards and three touchdowns on the ground. As a receiver, he’s hauled in 22 catches for 149 receiving yards. Williams’ best season came in 2019 with the Colts, when he had 49 rushing attempts for 239 yards and one touchdown.

More on the 2023 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2023 calendar year is set to begin at 4 p.m. ET on March 15 when contracts running through 2022 will officially run out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams will have a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 7. Beginning March 13 through March 15 teams will be allowed a legal negotiation with players who are set to become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marks the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 21 marks the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets while April 26 marks the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets. 722 players are slated to become free agents in 2023.

More on restricted, exclusive rights free agents

Players with only three years of accredited NFL experience become restricted free agents. Their original team will have the option to apply first-round, second-round, original-round, and right-of-fight-of-first-refusal tenders on players at escalating price tags. The higher the round, the more expensive the tender amount; however, if a separate team does offer a contract and the original team does not match that round pick will be conveyed from the new team to the original team. Right of first refusal only gives a team the option to match or not. If they don’t match, they get nothing in return. An original-round tender would send a draft pick from whatever round the player was drafted back to the original team if they chose not to match. The original team will have five days to match once a player signs an offer sheet from a new team.