Williams re-signed with the Bengals on a one-year contract Thursday.
Williams closed out the 2022 season as Cincinnati's kick returner. He's likely to reprise that role in 2023 and could also see an uptick in usage on offense as a depth option in the backfield behind Joe Mixon and Chris Evans.
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Bengals' Trayveon Williams: Likely returning to Cincinnati
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The Bengals plan to re-sign Williams on Wednesday, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Williams suited up for each of Cincinnati's final seven regular-season games and all three playoff matchups, but he operated primarily on special teams when Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine were healthy. Perine is expected to sign with Denver soon, so barring any additional moves, Williams could have an elevated role in 2023. Williams was selected by the Bengals in the sixth round of the 2019 Draft and has totaled 47 rushing attempts for 238 yards and secured eight of 10 targets for 64 receiving yards over the past three seasons (23 appearances).
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Bengals' Trayveon Williams: Serves as return man Week 18
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Williams played all 21 of his snaps on special teams Sunday in the Bengals' 27-16 win over the Ravens.
Williams was active for the Bengals' final seven games of the regular season, but he didn't receive any touches on offense over the last three of those contests while Cincinnati had both of Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine available out of the backfield. The Texas A&M product has, however, overtaken Chris Evans as Cincinnati's kickoff returner. Williams brought back two kickoffs for 48 yards against Baltimore to bring his average up to 22.3 yards per runback over 16 attempts during the regular season.
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Bengals' Trayveon Williams: Minimal offensive role
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Williams had just one carry for three yards in Sunday's win over the Chiefs, playing 10 offensive snaps.
Williams was still involved on special teams, returning two kicks for 27 yards, but he took a step back from the previous week when he was more involved against the Titans. If Joe Mixon (concussion) returns as expected this week, Williams might be relegated to special teams only duty.
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Bengals' Trayveon Williams: Contributes in win
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Williams had two carries for 18 yards and one reception for 16 yards in the Bengals' win over the Titans on Sunday.
Williams is clearly behind both Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon (concussion) when both are healthy, but he's also clearly ahead of Chris Evans should the opportunity arise.
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Bengals' Trayveon Williams: Set to fill depth role Week 12
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Williams is expected to be active for Sunday's game against the Titans, James Rapien of SI.com reports.
With lead back Joe Mixon (concussion) having been ruled out for the Week 12 contest, Williams and Chris Evans are poised to serve as depth options behind Samaje Perine, who is expected to step into the starting role. Perine will most likely dominate the snaps and touches out of the backfield, though perhaps not to the extent of Mixon, who played at least two-thirds of the Bengals' offensive plays in every game until Week 11, when he exited in the first half of a win over the Steelers after sustaining the concussion. Mixon's absence should pave the way for Evans and Williams to both have roles on offense, albeit as change-of-pace options behind Perine. Evans likely represents a better bet to relieve Perine on passing downs, while Williams could sub in for Perine in short-yardage or more obvious running situations. Williams suited up for just the second time all season in the win over Pittsburgh, carrying two times for seven yards while failing to secure his only target.
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Bengals' Trayveon Williams: Healthy scratch
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Williams (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's season opener against the Steelers, Marisa Contipelli of the Bengals' official site reports.
Williams made the Bengals' initial 53-man roster, but he was let go a day later to make room for a trio of wavier claims. He then returned to the team after Cincinnati placed multiple players on injured reserve. However, he's a healthy scratch for Week 1 as the Bengals have opted to keep only three running backs on the active roster -- Joe Mixon, Samaje Perine and Chris Evans.
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Bengals' Trayveon Williams: Re-signs with Cincinnati
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The Bengals re-signed Williams on Friday.
Williams made the initial 53-man roster, but he was let go a day later to make room for a trio of waiver claims. However, he's now returned to the team after the Bengals placed Tycen Anderson and Isaiah Prince on IR. The 2019 sixth-round pick has appeared in 26 games over the past three years in Cincinnati, totaling 47 touches for 242 yards.
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Trayveon Williams: Waived by Cincinnati
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The Bengals waived Williams on Wednesday, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic reports.
Williams made the initial 53-man roster, but he was let go Wednesday to make room for a trio of waiver claims. The 2019 sixth-round pick appeared in 26 games over three years with the Bengals, totaling 47 touches for 242 yards.
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Bengals' Trayveon Williams: Used behind Evans
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Williams rushed nine times for 28 yards and a touchdown while catching his only target for three yards in Sunday's 25-22 preseason loss to the Giants.
Williams was the second Cincinnati running back to see the field after Chris Evans, who got the start with both Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine sitting out. Most of Williams' contributions came on the first drive of the second half, which the 2019 sixth-round pick capped with a one-yard rushing touchdown. Williams seems to be locked into the fourth spot on Cincinnati's running back depth chart, which leaves him squarely on the roster bubble.
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Bengals' Trayveon Williams: Signed to active roster
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Williams was signed to the Bengals' active roster from the practice squad Saturday, Marisa Contipelli of the Bengals' official site reports.
Williams has been elevated from the practice squad on two occasions this season. However, he'll now join the roster on a more permanent basis, which could mean bad news for Chris Evans (ankle) from an injury perspective. When active, Williams has played primarily on special teams, but he does have six carries for 13 yards.
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Trayveon Williams: Reverts to practice squad
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Williams reverted to the Bengals' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's official transaction log.
Williams was called up to add depth to Cincinnati's running back group with Chris Evans (hamstring) unable to go Sunday against the Jets. Williams ultimately only played eight snaps, all on special teams. If Evans misses Week 9 against the Browns, Williams will look for another chance to play Sunday.
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Bengals' Trayveon Williams: Joining active roster
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Williams is being elevated to the Bengals' 53-man roster for Sunday's game against the Jets, Marisa Contipelli of the Bengals' official site reports.
Williams gets the call with Chris Evans set to miss the game with a hamstring issue. The 24-year-old Williams is unlikely to see much work behind Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine.
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Bengals' Trayveon Williams: Moves to active roster
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Williams has been elevated from the practice squad ahead of Sunday's game against the Lions.
Williams will take over for Samaje Perine, who will not be activated off the reserve/COVID-19 list in time for Sunday's contest. The 23-year-old made a couple of brief appearances last season when Joe Mixon was sidelined, most notably tallying a 12-carry, three-catch effort as the de-facto starter in Week 14 against the Cowboys. The move essentially guarantees Mixon will be expected to handle his full workload, an important distinction considering he's currently listed as questionable with a nagging ankle injury.
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Bengals' Trayveon Williams: Won't suit up against Washington
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Williams (hamstring) will not face Washington during Friday's exhibition matchup, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.
Williams will miss his second straight preseason game due to a hamstring injury, making Aug. 29's match against the Dolphins his next chance to suit up. The 2019 sixth-round pick has reportedly put together a strong offseason, but he's facing competition from Samaje Perine, Chris Evans, Jacques Patrick and Pooka Williams for a roster spot.
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Bengals' Trayveon Williams: Injures hammy, out Saturday
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Williams injured his hamstring Thursday and won't be available for Saturday's preseason game against Tampa Bay, Ben Baby of ESPN.com reports.
The 2019 sixth-round pick reportedly is having a nice summer after struggling with injuries the past two years, but even if he gets healthy in a hurry, Williams will need to compete for a roster spot and backup work. Samaje Perine, Chris Evans, Jacques Patrick and Pooka Williams are the other backfield options behind Joe Mixon, with Perine and Evans seemingly the chief competition for Trayveon Williams.
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Bengals' Trayveon Williams: Infrequently employed
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Williams finished the 2020 season with 26 carries for 157 yards, including four carries for 74 yards in the season finale against the Ravens.
Williams broke off a 55-yard run in the finale, but, despite the big run, he got very little work for the remainder of the game. Williams will be entering his third season in the NFL with little game action. With Joe Mixon signed long-term, there's not a lot of hope for Williams to earn a significant role with the Bengals.
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Bengals' Trayveon Williams: Gains role in backfield
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Williams carried the ball 12 times for 49 yards in Week 14 against the Cowboys. He added three receptions for 14 yards.
Williams took over as the Bengals' lead back after Giovani Bernard fumbled on the opening drive. Williams was fairly effective on the team's subsequent possession, gaining 22 combined yards between receptions and carries. However, he fumbled the ball deep in Dallas territory and was subsequently benched for the rest of the first quarter. After re-entering the contest, Williams managed to lead the team with 12 carries and could see an increased role in Week 15 against the Steelers if Joe Mixon (foot) remains out.
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Bengals' Trayveon Williams: No offensive snaps in loss
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Williams didn't play an offensive snap in Sunday's 19-7 loss to the Dolphins.
Giovani Bernard continues to lead the Bengals' backfield, while Samaje Perine operates as the clear No. 2 running back. Williams hasn't gained footing as a consistent contributor; he's played just 10 snaps on offense over the last four weeks.
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Bengals' Trayveon Williams: One carry, one catch
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Williams played five offensive snaps Sunday in the Bengals' loss to the Giants, catching a pass for 13 yards and running once while losing two yards.
The carry was one more than fellow backup Samaji Perine received, with Giovani Bernard getting the lion's share of work. It's not at all clear the Bengals are interested in seeing more from him the rest of the way.
