New England Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed Friday.
Vrabel said Williams, 51, has begun treatment and has been meeting with specialists.
“You know how much Terrell means to me personally and to the people on this football team,” Vrabel said. “So we want to send our regards publicly and let everybody know that’s what he’s dealing with … he’s been through a lot and we care about him.”
When Vrabel was head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018-23, Williams was his defensive line coach. He added assistant head coach to his title in 2023.
Williams spent the 2024 season as the defensive line coach and run game coordinator with the Detroit Lions.
Williams was dealing with unspecified health issues during the offseason and has been away from the Patriots since Week 1, with inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr calling the defensive plays in his absence.
“T is always a big part of what we do,” Kuhr said, per MassLive.com. “I just want him to know that we’re always thinking about him. (My wife) Jenny and I are always praying for him each and every day. But us as a staff, us as a defense, he has a big impact and he’s a big part of that.”
Williams has been coaching defensive lines in college and the pros since 1998, including stints with the then-Oakland Raiders (2012-14) and Miami Dolphins (2015-17).