New England Patriots - NESN.com
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel gave a discouraging update on a star defensive player.
The Patriots are set to go on the road to play the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, but New England won’t have a key defensive player in the lineup. Vrabel revealed Williams won’t play on Sunday and is out for the foreseeable future.
“We won’t have (Williams), so for the foreseeable future, he’ll work hard to get back,” Vrabel said at a press conference on Monday. “So, that’s really where our focus is, it’s not so much as a reflection as it is just focusing on how do we get the guys ready to perform and continue to improve.”
The Patriots placed Williams on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain, meaning he will miss the next four games.
New England signed Williams to a four-year, $104 million deal to be a key part of its defensive line. So, being without him for the next four games is a big blow to the Patriots’ defense.
“I think the thing we’re trying to get everybody to understand is how much this is a progress league, and to be able to improve as the season goes on,” Vrabel added. “And so, we’ll have to do that without Milt, who’s one of our contributors and is a big part of what we’ve done. But we’ll have to do it without him here for a few weeks.”
Williams suffered the injury during New England’s win over the New York Jets on Thursday. He’s recorded 27 tackles and 3.5 sacks this season.
The Patriots are off to a 9-2 start and are atop the AFC East. New England will play the Bengals on Sunday.
