FOXBORO, MASS. (WHDH) - New England Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, Head Coach Mike Vrabel announced Friday.
Williams, 51, has been away from the team for the last three weeks. Earlier this month, Vrabel attributed his absense to an unforeseen health issue that arrose sometime after the team’s season-opening loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Vrabel said Williams, “is in the process of treatment, meeting with specialists and figuring out the best plan of attack to be able to attack this, heal it, fix it and allow him to get back to better health.”
The Patriots will proceed with inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr calling defensive plays, like he has during the last two weeks. Vrabel told reporters the he is, “really comfortable with where we’re at and how we’re operating.”
“You know how much Terrell means to me personally and to the people on this football team. So again, we want to send our regards and just publicly let everybody know that’s what he’s dealing with. When he’s ready to talk, he’ll talk on his behalf,” Vrabel said. “But just our thoughts and prayers – and T [Terrell Williams] knows all this. We talk all the time, but just that we are with him. His family’s been through a lot and we care about him.”