Over the last couple of years, Connor Williams emerged as one of the top centers in the NFL. After spending the early part of his career playing guard with the Dallas Cowboys, Williams signed with the Miami Dolphins and kicked even further inside, and his athleticism helped turn Miami's run game into one of the league's best in 2023.
But Williams also missed several games due to injuries, then tore his ACL early in the team's Week 14 loss to the Tennessee Titans. The tear was a complex one involving not just the ACL, and he's been rehabbing throughout the offseason. It was previously expected that he would miss all of training camp and possibly the start of the 2024 season, but Williams' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, says that is no longer the case.
"Connor has had a remarkable recovery, nothing short of miraculous," Rosenhaus said in an interview with WSVN. "Really looking good for the start of the season. There's a lot of teams interested in him. But I'm just delighted for Connor. Did not anticipate him going to training camp with the team and felt like it might be something during the season before he played, but now he's done an awesome job and we're gonna see Connor Williams in someone's training camp."
Rosenhaus also said that Williams, who is currently a free agent, would be open to a return to the Dolphins and that he wouldn't rule anything out, but it's not likely that he will land back in Miami after the Dolphins signed former Titans center Aaron Brewer in free agency.
Williams should have a market for his services as long as he can show teams that he's ready to go. He might not be at full strength for the upcoming season, but he should be able to work as an average or better starting center, with the potential for more. And if he can only land a one-year pact this offseason and prove himself healthy, then he can hit the market again next offseason and sign a longer, larger deal.
