FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Patriots starting defensive tackle Milton Williams suffered a high ankle sprain in Thursday’s win against the New York Jets, which could sideline him for several weeks. Williams left Thursday’s game in the first series, but returned later in the first half before head coach Mike Vrabel decided to pull him for the second half.
Vrabel noted that Williams joined him outside the team’s locker room after the victory to congratulate each player, a reflection of his leadership. Williams, the former Philadelphia Eagles player who signed a four-year, $104 million free agent contract with the Patriots in March, has arguably been the team’s best defensive player this season. He has accumulated 27 tackles, with 3.5 sacks and 8 quarterback hits, and has played with an incessant motor that has received praise from coaches and teammates. Williams, 26, has played 61% of the defensive snaps. With a 9-2 record, the Patriots have the best record in the NFL and will visit the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, November 23rd. If Williams is not available for that game, the Patriots have multiple options to consider starting in his place alongside fifth-year professional Christian Barmore, a group led by Khyiris Tonga, Cory Durden, and rookie Joshua Farmer.I made the decision that we should probably start to address that and get ahead of it, and see where it’s at in the next few days,” Vrabel said after the Patriots’ 27-14 victory. “I wanted to try to play. I just made a decision that I felt was best for the team in his case.
Mike Vrabel
