The Detroit Lions have had a busy offseason featuring a significant amount of turnover, most notably on the coaching staff. Losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn certainly hurt, though the infrastructure is still in place to remain one of the NFC's truly elite teams.
Fortunately for the Lions, the free agents they lost shouldn't have as big of an impact as the coaches. Guard Kevin Zeitler and defensive end Za'Darius Smith, who is still a free agent, will be hard to replace, yet the roster is still in great shape.
One player who left, unheralded defensive end Jonah Williams, signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints. Following some sudden and surprising retirement news, it sounds like Williams should already regret joining his new team.
Saints QB Derek Carr is retiring after 11 seasons. (via @rapsheet, @tompelissero, @mikegarafolo) pic.twitter.com/irJJ7PVV7V
— NFL (@NFL) May 10, 2025
Former Lions DE Jonah Williams Has to Regret Joining Saints after Derek Carr Retirement
On Saturday, 34-year-old quarterback Derek Carr announced his retirement following a shoulder injury that would require surgery. That leaves the Saints with the NFL's least proven room at the position, as Spencer Rattler will now compete with rookie Tyler Shough for the starting job.
Not even the most diehard of New Orleans fans can pretend this team has any chance to compete in 2025. That's bad news for Williams, who needs a strong season to prove he deserves another contract elsewhere after the campaign. He played for the Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams, and Lions last year, appearing in just two games for Detroit while failing to record a stat.
The undrafted 29-year-old defender out of Weber State started 16 games for the Rams in 2023, yet his effectiveness waned, and he's now fighting to stick in the league. He spent most of his time last season on the practice squad, where the Lions poached him in late November, but he didn't prove enough to earn another deal.
Now, with a salary just north of $1 million, he'll be on one of the NFL's worst teams on paper trying to make a difference. There's an opportunity there, though Williams has no chance to win a Super Bowl like he did in Detroit. That's unfortunate, but hopefully he can parlay this season into a better opportunity elsewhere in 2026.