Joejuan Williams is heading back to New England, only this time the former Patriots cornerback is doing it from the other side of the meeting room.
Two months after announcing his retirement from pro football, Williams said on social media that he is returning to the Patriots in a new role. The 28-year-old will join the team’s coaching staff this summer through the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.
Williams was a second-round pick by New England in 2019 and spent his first NFL stretch with the Patriots, appearing in 38 regular season and playoff games combined. He brought an intriguing athletic profile to the team, but never locked down a steady defensive role and ended up making his biggest mark on special teams. New England chose not to bring him back as a free agent in 2023.
From there, Williams moved on to the Vikings, Bears and Saints, adding six more games to finish his playing career with 44 total appearances. His last game came in January 2024, and in May he announced he was stepping away from football.
He moved into coaching almost immediately. Williams first got a shot at Vanderbilt, his alma mater, and said the transition felt natural.
“I ran into my corners coach at Vandy one day. I was telling him, ‘Hey, I plan on coaching probably the ‘27 season,’ and he was like, ‘Nah, come in now,’” Williams told commanders.com earlier this offseason. “I came in, showed up ever since and it was just natural, being in the room, talking to the guys, teaching them.”
After that first stop, Williams joined the Commanders as a Bill Walsh fellow and spent two weeks in Washington. Now he’ll look to keep building that experience back with the Patriots.
New England is set to open 2026 training camp on Saturday, July 25.
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