Garrett

Williams

Head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed on Monday that Williams would miss the remainder of the season. The former third-round pick suffered a torn Achilles in Week 16’s loss to the Falcons and will now spend the next several months rehabbing in hopes of returning sometime in 2026. Williams started all 10 games he appeared in this season for the Cardinals, totaling 46 tackles, five pass breakups, one interception, and one forced fumble.

Williams exited Sunday’s game against the Falcons with a non-contact Achilles injury and had to be carted from the field. The third-year vet will undergo an MRI to confirm, but the injury had the look of a season-ender long before this report. Williams has started 21 of the 26 games he’s appeared in over the last two seasons for the Cardinals and has tallied five pass breakups and one interception this year.

Williams backpedaled in coverage, pivoted to his right and attempted to push off his left leg. Instead, the leg gave out. Williams looked behind him, seemingly investigating whether an opponent had made contact with his lower body. He then began hopping on his right leg, unable to put weight on his left leg. Sadly, this looks to be a fairly straightforward Achilles tendon rupture. He was eventually carted away after the trainers met with him on the field. Williams recorded three pass breakups and one interception this season.

Johnson has a chance to return this week, after practicing in a limited fashion on Thursday and Friday. Cardinals LB Baron Browning (concussion) has, unfortunately, been ruled out once more. He was unable to resume practicing as he works through his brain injury. Fellow CB Garrett Williams (ankle) is also questionable.

The 16th overall selection will plug into Arizona’s defensive line rotation immediately. The Cardinals also activated CB Garrett Williams from injured reserve ahead of tonight’s game against the Cowboys.

Williams suffered the knee injury in Week 2 against the Panthers and will be sidelined for the near future. Head coach Jonathan Gannon said Williams will be placed on injured reserve with a chance to return. Meanwhile, CB Max Melton (knee) was a limited practice participant. Losing Williams and potentially Will Johnson (groin) for Week 3 is a tough blow to the secondary, but Melton at least has a shot to play against an equally banged-up 49ers receiving group.

We expect clarifying news to arrive shortly. Murphy-Bunting’s injury was not specified in the report, but notably dealt with a mid-season neck injury last year. Second-year CB Max Melton, CB Kei’Trel Clark and Starling Thomas V will likely compete for the No. 2 perimeter cornerback role opposite second-round rookie CB Will Johnson, while CB Garrett Williams mans the slot. The Cardinals also waived DE Ben Stille.

The Cardinals end their season with a divisional opponent in the Seahawks as they continue to get a glimpse of what the future holds for the organization. For what it’s worth, they have continued to play hard through a 4-12 record.

Williams (5’10/190) took a redshirt in 2019 before starting every game he was healthy for over the next three seasons, receiving Freshman All-American recognition in 2020 with 64 tackles, 12 PBU and two interceptions. The three-time Honorable Mention All-ACC performer allowed a career 66.2% receiving catch rate and 100.6 NFL passer rating, which are sub-optimal marks. Though he’s on the shorter side for a boundary corner, Williams has advanced instincts and route recognition to go with smooth hips. Two of his four career interceptions came on plays where he read the quarterback’s eyes and broke off coverage to create an off-script turnover. Williams didn’t draw a single penalty in coverage over his last two seasons when he was limited to just 826 snaps due to multiple injuries, including a torn ACL in October that could hamper his availability in 2023. He can be muscled-off routes and allows a lot of underneath completions. Williams has size and injury red flags, but he’s very crafty, has special teams value, and doesn’t get beat deep a lot despite not being a track star.

Williams (6'0/189) doesn’t get the same amount of hype that some other defensive backs across the country do, but he’s done his job for Syracuse. According to Pro Football Focus, Williams has forced 14 incompletions over the past two seasons, tied for second in the ACC over that time span. Williams finished out last season with 52 tackles (36 solo) and nine passes defended after finishing 2020 with 64 tackles (54 solo) with two interceptions, one touchdown and one sack.