Patriots cornerback suffers season-ending injury

Before joint practice between the Patriots and Panthers began on Tuesday, it was reported Patriots cornerback, Joejuan Williams would miss the 2022 season.

Mere hours before training camp would begin, Ian Rapoport from NFL Network broke the bad news about Joejuan Williams, citing a shoulder injury would end his season before it began.

It was said that Williams suffered the injury in the preseason opener last week against the New York Giants. He will likely be placed on injured reserve before the cut-down deadline on Tuesday when rosters need to be down to 85 players.

The injury takes a massive hit to the Patriots’ depth at cornerback where they have been looking to replace the production from J.C. Jackson. Although it appeared Williams was a long-shot to make the team this year, he would have been an important rotational piece in a more questionable part of the current team.

Williams entered the league in 2019 when he was drafted in the second round by the Patriots. Selected out of Vanderbilt University, New England moved up in the draft to pick him, but are yet to see what they hoped to get out of him since.

During his three years in Foxboro, Williams has only had one start in 36 regular season games. Throughout that time, he’s tallied 8 passes defended, 44 tackles and one QB hit; not nearly enough to make himself a key part of the defense.

As training camp progressed this offseason, it was clear Williams was becoming the odd-man-out. Jalen Mills has seemingly earned the title of CB1, with the Patriots looking to find who will line up on the other side.

The additions of Malcolm Butler, Terrance Mitchell, Jack Jones, and Marcus Jones, Williams had steep competition this year to make the team. Now that his season is over and he is on the last year of his rookie contract, this could be the last we see of Williams in New England.