A healthy Connor Williams is easily the best interior offensive lineman available on the free agent market. After beginning his career as an above-average guard, the former second-round choice shifted to center for the Miami Dolphins and immediately established himself as one of the finest at the position. According to PFF grading, Williams was the game’s fourth-best and second-best center in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Given how much interior offensive lineman like Robert Hunt were paid, it’s easy to infer that Connor Williams would have made a lot of money as a free agent if he had been healthy. After all, the center is one of two players who touches the ball on every single snap, and the job also entails clearing run games and keeping the pocket from collapsing on the quarterback. Spotrac felt he was worth $67 million if healthy, but he’ll never get close to that amount this year.
On December 11th, the center ruptured his ACL in a 28-27 loss to the Tennessee Titans. While this injury is always season-ending, players can heal in time for Week 1 of the next season. Unfortunately, this may not be the case for Connor Williams, as agent Drew Rosenhaus just provided a disturbing report on the free agent.
Free agent Connor Williams will not sign soon after a “significant” ACL tear.
Earlier this week, ESPN’s Louis Riddick questioned whether Williams’ ACL tear could terminate his career. Rosenhaus recently spoke on Miami’s WSVN television station to refute those rumors, but he does not appear optimistic that Connor Williams would join as a free agent anytime soon.
“So Connor suffered a serious knee injury. Without going into specifics, it was a serious knee injury. So he is taking his time with his rehabilitation. I don’t believe his immediate plan is to sign with the Dolphins or any other team right now. I believe he is focused on his medical problem — getting healthy — and then assessing where he stands at that point. So, it’s unlikely that Connor Williams will sign with an NFL team anytime soon.”
This is not an update that anyone wants to see. While Rosenhaus suggested that Connor Williams is attempting to return to the field, this is far from certain. This is another sad reminder that the NFL’s unofficial motto is “Not For Long,” as one snap might have permanently disabled one of the game’s top centers.
However, for the sake of argument, let’s assume Connor Williams can recover and sign as a free agent. While this is unlikely to happen until August, some organizations should be willing to take a chance on him. The former second-round pick would have received a multi-year contract, but he will most likely have to settle for a one-year deal with a hefty incentive package.
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