Patriots' Joejuan Williams out for season with shoulder injury
FOXBORO -- Joejuan Williams' time in New England is likely coming to an end.
Williams will miss the 2022 season because of a shoulder injury, Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday morning. The defensive back was already on the roster bubble in a crowded (but uncertain) Patriots secondary, and this certainly won't help his cause to make the 53-man roster.
Williams is entering the final year of his rookie contract after being drafted in the second round (45th overall) by New England in 2019.
Williams has played sparingly over his three NFL seasons, joining a long line of second-round defensive backs that haven't panned out for Bill Belichick and company. Williams started just one regular season game in his career, and defended eight passes with no interceptions over 36 games overall.
The most action that Williams saw in a season came last year, when he played 35 percent of New England's defensive snaps. The majority of his time on the field came on special teams.
Teams have to get their rosters down to 85 players by Tuesday afternoon, so moving Williams to a reserve list could help New England's cause. While Williams didn't play much, the Patriots are losing some depth in the secondary and on special teams with Tuesday's injury news.
