Earlier this month, K’Waun Williams was sidelined by an ankle injury which was not immediately thought to require surgery. The situation has now changed, however, and he will miss at least some time in 2023 as a result.
Williams will undergo surgery today, reports Mike Klis of 9News. It is unclear at this point if the 32-year-old will be placed on injured reserve ahead of roster cutdowns or be named to Denver’s 53-man roster and then head to IR. The former decision would sideline him for the campaign, while the latter would guarantee at least a four-week absence to start the year while leaving the door open to a later return. Denver7’s Troy Renck reports that Williams will be sidelined for up to eight weeks.
The former UDFA initially elected to avoid a procedure on the injured ankle, preferring to rehab the ailment in the hopes of being ready for the start of the season. That will no longer be the case now, however, and the team will need to move quickly after receiving his prognosis to decide his fate for 2023. An absence of any length will be acutely felt in the Broncos’ secondary given the starter’s role in the slot Williams was in line to retain.
The former Brown and 49er started eight of his 14 contests in Denver last season. Williams recorded one interception, seven pass deflections and strong coverage statistics in his debut Broncos campaign. That made his two-year, $5.2M deal signed in 2022 seem like a bargain for a Denver team that already has a strong secondary led by former top-10 pick Patrick Surtain.
That unit will be shorthanded on the inside now, adding further to the injury troubles the Broncos are dealing with in 2023. The team’s WR corps has been hit particularly hard with Tim Patrick again suffering a season-ending injury, K.J. Hamler away from the team while dealing with a heart condition and Jerry Jeudy set to miss time with a hamstring issue. Essang Bassey — who played primarily on special teams in Denver last year and filled in for Williams during the preseason — is likely in line for a large defensive workload during the latter’s absence.
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