It looks like clock on the span between games for Cardinals running back Ryan Williams is going to stop at just under a year.
Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said Monday that he expects Williams to play Friday night against the Raiders. It will be Williams’ first game action since August 19th last year, when he tore his right patellar tendon on his first carry of a game against the Packers. Williams missed all of last season and has missed the team’s first two preseason games this year recovering from the injury.
The status of Williams’ backfield mate is less certain. Whisenhunt said Beanie Wells needs to go through a padded practice before he’d consider playing him in a game. The Cardinals have two more games after this one and Wells thinks that’s enough for him to get ready.
“I don’t know if it’s this week,” Wells said, via Darren Urban of the team’s website. “I went through warmups last week and it felt great to be out there just preparing for a game. I definitely need preseason. Maybe one game, maybe two games, but I definitely need it.”
It will be interesting to see Williams, a second-round pick last year, back on the field. There was a lot of excitement about him before his injury last season and Williams will finally get a chance to rekindle the buzz.