Veteran NFL corner drawing interest after medical clearance

Williams first underwent surgery on August 28, and there was initial optimism he would be able to return at some point during the year. By October, however, it became clear that would not be the case, with a follow-up procedure proving to be necessary. Good news has emerged on the medical front in his case.

The 32-year-old received clearance earlier this month, Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette reports. That will help his free-agent prospects, although Tomasson adds a new Broncos deal will not be taking place. In spite of that, he notes that Williams has generated interest from five teams.

Serving as a rotational slot defender in Cleveland to begin his career, Williams took on a larger role during his five-year tenure with the 49ers. The former UDFA logged a career-high defensive snap share of 72% in 2021 and he landed a two-year, $5.2M Denver deal as a result. The Broncos only had Williams on the field for one season of that pact, though, one in which he recorded 44 tackles, one interception and seven pass deflections.

Williams also posted strong coverage statistics (59.6% completion percentage, 69.3 passer rating allowed) in 2022, underscoring the impact of his absence last season. As a result, it comes as little surprise the Pitt product is on the radar of potential suitors now that he is healthy once again. Still, his age and injury history will no doubt limit him to a short-term deal for the 2024 campaign. It will be interesting to see if he lands an agreement prior to next month’s draft or is forced to wait until teams re-evaluate their secondary setups following the addition of rookies.