Steelers' Williams not changing mindset with Bell as starter
Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams insists he's ready for a new role, as incumbent starter Le'Veon Bell returns from a three-game suspension.
Williams did an excellent job in Bell's absence, rushing for 258 yards and three touchdowns, and he's maintaining the same approach to the game entering Week 4.
"There is no mindset change. I go in and work my ass off to be productive always," Williams told Ben Baskin of Sports Illustrated. "I was working just like I would be if I was the starting tailback, so nothing changed for me. When my number is called, nobody cares if I am a starter or not. They just care if I make plays or if I'm productive. The last 11 years, I have attacked the offseason the exact same way, whether I was the starter or the backup. You have to understand that in this league, we are all one play removed from being the starter or from being the backup, in any game."
Williams also said he's embodying the concept of next man up.
"I've shared carries my entire career. I had the opportunity to play with one of the better backs in the league in Jonathan Stewart (for seven seasons with the Panthers) and now I'm playing with Le'Veon. So I know what my role is when I come into a season. And when I have conversations with the other backs, I know what my role is. I knew what it was when I signed the contract here last year. So just having the mindset of knowing what I'm here for helps a lot. And at practice, when Le'Veon is here, we split everything down the middle. He gets X amount of plays, I get X amount of plays. There is no favoritism shown. It just goes back to the idea of next man up."