The New England Patriots sit atop the NFL to begin Week 10, giving fans much to be pleased about at the midway point of the 2025 season. Despite the team's success, not every Patriot is living up to expectations, and that includes rookie wide receiver Kyle Williams.
In what is the first year of a rebuild with head coach Mike Vrabel, he drafted Williams in the third round to give second-year quarterback Drake Maye a true weapon to build chemistry with for years down the road. Unfortunately, that goal hasn’t transferred to reality as Williams has been unplayable so far this season.
Although it might not look like it, Williams gets on the field each game, but he’s unable to get on the same page with Maye. He’s only been targeted six times this season, making two receptions for 20 yards. His last catch was in Week 3 against the Pittsburgh Steelers for eight yards.
Kyle Williams Has Been Unplayable for Patriots
When Williams does get a potential look from Maye, the rookie playmaker hasn’t been precise enough with his route running, forcing himself out of the play as Maye doesn’t have enough time to wait for him to run the route. There is too much miscommunication between Williams and Maye at this point in the season, and it doesn't look like things will improve.
In Week 9, Williams saw his snap count increase to 31, which more than doubled the career-high 15 he tallied in the week before, and it was due to Kayshon Boutte exiting early with a hamstring injury. He’s totaled 122 offensive snaps and isn’t used on special teams.
The Patriots began the season with a wide receiver room that had an open No. 1 role for the taking, and since then, they’ve had a different leading receiver in each game this season. The fact that Williams hasn't been able to emerge even once is a major concern.
It’s clear that Williams is still learning the playbook and the proper technique with certain concepts that he sees on the field during a game. Although it’s not ideal, it tracks with the abundance of receivers over the years who have struggled to grasp offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' system.
That said, Vrabel, McDaniels, and wide receivers coach Todd Downing have all said that Williams is progressing along just as they expected. Although the fans might’ve had a different perception of Williams after the Patriots drafted him with a valuable pick, the team is continuing to trust the work that they see from the rookie every day in practice.
With eight weeks remaining in the season, there is still plenty of time for things to click for Williams and for him to be a possible contributor this season and moving forward in the future. Until then, his early performance has been disappointing.