The New England Patriots had another injury to a wide receiver for the second consecutive week in a preseason game.
Rookie third-round wide receiver Kyle Williams left the game near the end of the second quarter after taking a hard hit from Minnesota linebacker Austin Keys.
It wasn’t necessarily a head shot, but Williams got up and walked over to the medical tent on his own power and then he eventually made his way to the locker room, which ended his day with an apparent head injury.
It was 3rd & 4 with 5:40 on the clock in the second quarter. Williams was split out wide to the left with backup quarterback Joshua Dobbs lined up behind the center. He ran a five-yard in-route that required him to reach above his head to reel in the pass, but it left him in a vulnerable position, which invited the big hit to happen.
#Patriots rookie WR Kyle Williams got his bell rung on this five-yard in-route while split out wide from a pass by Joshua Dobbs. He had to reach up for it, leaving him in a vulnerable position. He walked off the field and went to the locker room. pic.twitter.com/cWY8FZazMc
— Justin Trombino (@Trombino20) August 16, 2025
Williams only played for a short amount of time in the game and he still finished with the third-most receptions (3) and yards (24) for a Patriots wide receiver.
The Patriots drafted Williams 69th overall with high expectations for him to make an impact this year as a rookie. They brought him in for a Top 30 Visit and targeted him as a player who checked all the boxes for them. He impressed all of the coaches on his visit, and they told him what they’d be expecting from him.
Since being in New England this summer and going through OTAs, minicamp, and training camp, Williams has solidified himself as one of the top wide receivers set to make the roster with Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte, and Efton Chism III.
It’s still unclear what type of injury Williams walked off the field with. Like I said earlier, it wasn’t exactly a headshot, but Williams got his bell rung. It leaves his status for the next preseason game up in the air in what is a short week with their next game being on Thursday against the New York Giants.
With Week 1 still three weeks away, this shouldn’t be too much of a setback for Williams if he is to miss time before the season. These are important days of work for the rookie, don’t get me wrong, but making sure he’s available for the season is more important.