Kyle Williams spent the summer looking like a player ready to climb. Now, with A.J. Brown sidelined on short-term injured reserve because of a high-ankle sprain, the Patriots have a clear opening - and no real excuse not to give the second-year wideout a real shot.
Williams was one of the bright spots of New England’s preseason, working almost entirely with backup quarterback Tommy DeVito and the second unit but flashing like someone who belonged higher up the ladder. He caught a long touchdown in all three preseason games and finished with six receptions for 166 yards.
That came after the Patriots made him a third-round pick in 2025, then watched him slide down the pecking order once the team brought in veterans A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs. Even so, head coach Mike Vrabel made it clear in early August that Williams was part of the plan.
"I know that he is going to be a large part of what we're going to do, and those opportunities will continue to come," Vrabel said in early August. "His release skills, his speed, his vertical speed, those are all things that we have to continue to take advantage of as we progress.
And it's a great room. It's a good, competitive room.
And by competing and getting out there every single day, those will by nature increase his opportunities."
Vrabel’s belief in Williams also helped shape the roster, with the Patriots dealing Kayshon Boutte to the Houston Texans on Aug. 24. But all of that optimism ran into a rough reality in Wednesday night’s season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks: Williams barely got a look.
Brown went out early in the third quarter, yet Williams never drew a target on his 12 offensive snaps, which accounted for 17 percent of the offense.
That left Drake Maye leaning on the two pass catchers he trusted most when the game tightened up in the fourth quarter: Mack Hollins and Hunter Henry. Doubs, despite a disastrous Patriots debut, still looks like the team’s top volume option with Brown out because he can line up all over the formation.
Williams, though, is the swing piece. He was clearly New England’s No. 5 receiver through camp, behind Brown, Doubs, Hollins and DeMario Douglas.
But he also averaged 27.7 yards per catch in the preseason, and he already showed he can turn limited chances into damage during his rookie year. Maye targeted him 21 times in 2025, and Williams turned three of those into touchdowns of 72, 37 and 33 yards.
The Patriots’ choice against Seattle looked tied to game plan as much as anything else. They played conservatively early and leaned heavily on the run. Williams is the kind of receiver who can flip a game with one touch, but at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, he is not the boundary blocker Hollins is.
Still, the case for using him is obvious. Williams can separate at the line of scrimmage with ease at times, and with Brown on IR, New England’s top three of Doubs, Douglas and Hollins, plus Henry at tight end, is one of the slowest WR/TE groups in football.
He may never be a high-volume player, at least not this season. But the Patriots need to find out what they have, and that means getting Williams on the field and giving Maye a chance to test the deep ball.
Vrabel said Williams would matter. Week 2 is the time to prove it.
In Other News...
Patriots Suddenly Face A Bigger A.J. Brown Problem Than Expected
The Patriots receiver picture took an immediate hit when A.J. Brown went on injured reserve after suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 1. The original expectation was a four-week absence, which already would have tested New Englands depth and timing on offense early in the season.
Now the recovery window sounds longer, with reports suggesting Brown could miss up to six weeks and not be back until around Week 8. No surgery is planned, which is at least a good sign, but it leaves the Patriots waiting longer than they first hoped for a key piece of the passing game to get back on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Fans Can Already Judge Vrabels Best And Worst Trades
Mike Vrabels first two offseasons have already given Patriots fans plenty to sort through, with a busy trade ledger that has helped reshape the roster in stages. Some of the deals have looked like clear wins, others have been more of a fine balance between cost and fit, and a few have landed in that frustrating middle ground where the logic made sense even if the return has not exactly stirred enthusiasm.
What makes the list interesting is how much of it is still being judged in real time, because several of the swaps hinge on players whose impact in New England remains limited so far. The draft capital attached to those moves matters too, since the Patriots have been working through a broader plan that blends immediate roster fixes with longer-term bets, and not every trade can be graded the same way when the results are still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
Hunter Henry Is Closing In On Rare Patriots Company
The Patriots left Seattle with a loss, but Hunter Henry still walked away with another reminder of how important he has become to the offense. The veteran tight end is closing in on 3,000 receiving yards, a mark that would put him in rare company among the teams all-time receiving leaders at his position and add another line to a rsum that already reflects his value far beyond the box score.
Drake Maye has made it clear Henrys influence reaches well beyond the routes he runs, praising him for the mentorship and leadership he brings to a young offense. With the Patriots dealing with A.J. Browns high-ankle sprain and the uncertainty that comes with moving pieces around a passing game, Henrys steadiness matters even more, and the next milestone is suddenly sitting right in front of him. [Read more 🡒]