Patriots place Milton Williams on injured reserve with ankle injury
The Patriots will be without a key member of their defense for several weeks. The team placed defensive tackle Milton Williams on injured reserve Saturday after he suffered an ankle injury Thursday against the New York Jets.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN first reported that Williams could miss "multiple weeks" after suffering a high ankle sprain in the team's 27-14 win over the Jets.
The team later announced that Williams has been placed on injured reserve, meaning he will miss a minimum of four weeks. In a corresponding move, the Patriots signed rookie linebacker Bradyn Swinson to the 53-man roster from the practice squad.
Williams briefly attempted to come back into the game after suffering the injury but was then ruled out. Though he was out for the game, Williams was clearly locked in on the action. When teammate Christian Barmore notched a sack later in the game, Williams fired off a celebratory post on X, the social media website previously known as Twitter.
Williams, who joined the Patriots this offseason on a massive four-year deal worth $104 million, has proven to be worth every penny. He's been a critical part of the Patriots' defense, which didn't allow a 50-yard runner until its matchup against Tampa Bay. Williams has 3.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits on the year.
At a minimum, Williams will miss New England's games against the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens. Williams won't be eligible to return until Week 17 when the Patriots play the Jets.
New England currently sits at 9-2 on the year, good for first place in the AFC East.