FOXBOROUGH, MA. — The collective concern of Pats Nation continues to be with New England Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams.
Williams, as reported by ESPN’s Mike Reiss, was treated for dehydration at Monday’s training camp practice. The 51-year-old left the session midway through with the help of medical staff as part of taking extra precaution.
After suffering what he deemed to be an “eye-opening medical situation” earlier this year, Williams remained at his home in Detroit per physician’s orders, as Vrabel, Patriots rookies and roster hopefuls took the practice fields during offseason workouts. He did, however, return to the field for the Patriots at the start of training camp.
The Patriots hired Williams as their new defensive coordinator in late January, shortly after Vrabel was named head coach. The two have a longstanding working relationship, having coached together with the Tennessee Titans when Williams served as Vrabel’s defensive line coach and his assistant head coach in 2023.
In 2024, his only season with the Detroit Lions, Williams coached the fourth-best defense in the NFL when it came to run success rate at 36.1. In turn, his presence should help to resurrect a Patriots run game which had fallen far and fast last year. Combined with his aggressive, physical approach to front-seven pressure, he has the experience to have the Pats defense showing marked improvement in 2025.
Still, Williams is cognizant of valuing his health above all else. While he continued to communicate with both players and staff via video conference, inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr assumed the in-person duties of directing on-field action. Kuhr once again assumed the play-calling duties after Williams’ departure from practice on Monday.
Though he remained eager to return to the both the coaches room and the practice fields, Williams is grateful for the opportunity to get well — and thus, come back stronger and with renewed vigor for his job. In fact, it was a sentiment he shared with the media via video conference in May.
“When something traumatic happens like that, and it was traumatic for me,” Williams said, “It gave me an opportunity to reflect, and look back at the people I care about and has made a difference in my life … “It also gave me a reminder that sometimes as coaches, as media folks, and athletes and doctors and whoever, we think we’re invincible and we’re not … this was a good wake up call for me.”
