Falcons' Avery Williams: Strictly special teams in Week 7
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Williams brought back a kickoff for 21 yards and played all 23 of his snaps on special teams in Sunday's 34-14 loss to the Seahawks.
Though he's listed as a running back, Williams hasn't logged any touches out of the backfield since the 2022 season and is on the Falcons' roster solely due to his role as a kickoff and punt returner. Until Sunday, Jase McClellan had been inactive as the Falcons' No. 4 running back, but the rookie sixth-round pick suited up against the Seahawks and ended up getting five carries in garbage time, rather than Williams, when Atlanta rested top backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier late in the game.
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Falcons' Avery Williams: Operates exclusively on teams
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Williams returned two punts for 12 yards and one kickoff for 28 yards during Sunday's 22-17 loss to the Chiefs.
For the second time in three weeks, Williams didn't see the field on offense. He's the primary return man for Atlanta, but he ceded a kickoff to Ray-Ray McCloud versus the Chiefs. Through three games, Williams has totaled 51 punt-return yards and 50 kick-return yards.
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Falcons' Avery Williams: Operates primarily as returner
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Williams returned one punt for 11 yards and one kickoff for 22 yards during Monday's 22-21 win over the Eagles.
Williams saw his first two offensive snaps of the season but didn't record a touch. He has 39 punt-return yards through two weeks and appears to have solidified himself as the Falcons' top return man.
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Falcons' Avery Williams: Works exclusively on special teams
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Williams returned two punts for 28 yards during Sunday's 18-10 loss to the Steelers.
Williams didn't see any offensive snaps in Week 1, as Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier handled all the RB duties. While Williams appears to be the No. 1 punt returner, WR Ray-Ray McCloud took all of Atlanta's kick returns versus Pittsburgh.
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Falcons' Avery Williams: First-team returner
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Williams and Ray-Ray McCloud are the Falcons' first-team returners to start training camp, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.
Given the new return rules in the NFL, teams are trying different personnel combinations to start training camp. Surprisingly, phenom running back Bijan Robinson isn't getting any looks as a return man to start training camp, with Williams and McCloud currently backed up by Mike Hughes and Rondale Moore. Williams has totaled 803 kick-return yards and 445 punt-return yards over his first two seasons in Atlanta.
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Falcons' Avery Williams: Participating in OTAs
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Williams (knee) participated in OTAs on Tuesday, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
Williams missed the entire 2023 campaign after tearing in his ACL in an offseason workout, but he looks to have made a full recovery from knee surgery. Since entering the NFL in 2021, Williams has primarily operated as a return man, accumulating 445 punt-return yards and 803 kick-return yards across two seasons. Now that Williams has returned to the field, he's expected to compete for a role on special teams and as a depth option in the backfield.
The Falcons placed Williams (knee) on injured reserve Friday, Scott Bair of the team's official site reports.
This move was expected after head coach Arthur Smith said Williams had torn his ACL during an offseason workout. The return man recently underwent season-ending surgery and will attempt to get heathy for the 2024 campaign. In his absence, Cordarrelle Patterson will presumably take over as the primary kick returner, while Mike Hughes and Josh Ali will compete for punt-return opportunities.
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Falcons' Avery Williams: Likely done for season
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Head coach Arthur Smith said Wednesday that Williams has suffered an ACL injury and is expected to miss the 2023 campaign, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Williams is expected to be sent in for knee surgery in the coming days, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. The 5-foot-9, 195-pound Williams averaged 5.0 yards and scored a touchdown on 22 carries and added 13 receptions for 61 yards, but his main contributions for Atlanta in 2022 came in the return game.
Williams finished the 2022 campaign with 22 rushing attempts for 109 yards and a touchdown across 17 appearances. He also caught 13 of 14 targets for 61 yards and complied 605 return yards.
Williams was drafted by the Falcons in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft as a defensive back and return man, but the Boise State product was converted to running back ahead of the 2022 campaign. With Damien Williams out of the picture after Week 1 due to a rib injury, Williams quickly worked his way up the running back depth chart and saw a decent role during the campaign given his circumstances. However, Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson dominated the backfield work, which left limited opportunities for Williams and Caleb Huntley. Williams has two years remaining on his rookie contract and figures to have a solid shot at a roster spot next year due to his return abilities, but he'll also have a chance to carve out a larger offensive role following a full offseason at his new position.
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Falcons' Avery Williams: Practices in full
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Williams (foot) logged a full practice Friday, Ashton Edmunds of the Falcons' official site reports.
Williams was forced out of the team's Week 17 game with the Cardinals and could not return. However, after a couple of days off the field, the second-year-pro was able to return and participate in full. He should be able to suit up Sunday against the Buccaneers.
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Falcons' Avery Williams: Will not return
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Williams (foot) will not return Sunday against the Cardinals, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.
Williams had one carry for minus two yards and a reception for two yards before exiting, as well a kick return for 23 yards. As the team's No. 3 back, behind Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson, Williams' absence won't have much of an impact. However, it could force Patterson to take over all return duties for the remainder of the contest.
Williams logged three carries for 16 yards and reeled in both of his targets for 14 yards during Saturday's 17-9 loss to the Ravens.
With Caleb Huntley (Achilles) out, Williams stepped up as the Falcons' No. 3 running back and totaled five touches for just the second time this season. He made the most of his increased offensive opportunity by recording a season-high 30 yards from scrimmage while also operating as the team's primary punt and kick returner. As long as Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson are healthy, Williams likely remains irrelevant in standard fantasy leagues, but he's certainly a player to monitor now that he's in line for increased work during Atlanta's final two regular-season games.
Falcons' Avery Williams: Catches two passes in loss
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Williams had zero carries but caught both of targets for 10 yards during Sunday's 21-18 loss to the Saints.
Caleb Huntley (ankle) played just two snaps before leaving the game in the first half, which opened up a few more opportunities for Williams, who played 10 offensive snaps and caught multiple passes for the third time this season. However, even if Huntley misses extended time, Williams likely remains irrelevant in fantasy as long as Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson are available.
