Safety Aaron Williams’ father said in January that his son is leaning toward playing in 2017 despite season-ending neck injuries in each of the last two seasons.
If Williams does make it back to the field, it looks like he’ll have to find a team other than the Bills to give him a shot. Josina Anderson of ESPN reported on Thursday morning that the Bills will release Williams.
Williams was a second-round pick by the Bills in 2011 and saw his first starts as a rookie. He started 38 games between 2012 and 2014, but has played in just 10 games the last two years as a result of his neck problems. He’ll likely need to convince teams that he’s healthy enough to resume his career before he’ll get a contract for next season.
The move will save the Bills $1.775 million under the cap if it goes on the books right away and that number would rise to $4.2 million if he’s designated as a post-June 1 cut. The Bills wouldn’t be able to spend any of that money until after June 1 and Williams’ departure makes safety an area the team will need to address heading into the season.
UPDATE 12:10 p.m. ET: The Bills announced the move.