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Williams Taking Return Process Day-By-Day

Arizona Cardinals tight end Maxx Williams is maintaining his upbeat attitude through his return from a season-ending ACL injury.

Aaron Decker

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The crowd at State Farm Stadium let out a collective gasp when the replay of Maxx Williams injury was displayed on the Jumbotron. Williams, still on the ground in pain, had just torn his ACL due to a tackle around his knee. The Cardinals tight end was carted off, his season over, and a long road to recovery only beginning.

“When I got hit, I knew it was bad and then I heard the whole crowd go quiet and then ooh and ah,” Williams said. “ It sucked, but [I] took it for what it was and [wasn't] going to let it stop me.”

Williams has always been one of the upbeat characters on the Cardinals roster. The 28-year-old entered this year's training camp donning a handlebar mustache and a spirited attitude despite a season-ending injury that curtailed a breakout season.

Before the last year's Week-5 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers, Williams had begun to showcase his versatility as a pass-catcher. A talented blocking tight end, Williams was becoming more involved in the pass game. That was until 49ers cornerback Emmanuel Moseley lunged at Williams' planted right leg.

“It was devastating to me personally because, one, we were winning, two, who wants to get hurt in Week (5),” Williams said. “For a couple days, I was all pissed off, but what good was that going to do, for me to be all upset?"

Although his season was over, Williams' sense of humor was apparent almost immediately. A couple weeks after his injury he posted a photo of himself on Twitter, watching the Cardinals game broadcast while he sat on a recliner in a cast.

The optimism from the Cardinals' longest-tenured tight end also extended to being realistic about his injury.

“I won’t be the first guy to come back from a bad knee and I won’t be the last, so for me, it’s just another thing to overcome, take it day-by-day, and to have fun with,” Williams said.

Williams' day-by-day motto regarding his rehab is what he considers the reason he has been able to keep his upbeat mentality through the 11-month rehab process. 

Williams said he focused on his rehab and would return home to his newborn baby. His five-month-old baby helped preoccupy him through the offseason and take his mind off the game.

The process has led Williams to be “ahead of schedule” according to head coach Kliff Kingsbury. When camp began, Williams started off on the physically unable to perform list. but was taken off the list last week.

“We kind of got to the point of the rehab where I needed to go see if I can play football,” Williams said.

Although he hasn’t participated in a large amount of practice reps, Williams is back on the field with his fellow teammates while still taking the process a step at a time.

“We’re in no rush, we still have two weeks of camp left [and] a couple preseason games,” Williams said. “It’s a long time till September, so I’m going to take things day- by-day and see how we go.”

The Cardinals open up their preseason play on Friday against the Cincinnati Bengals, but Williams' status on game day is still up in the air. For the tight end he said, he is just focusing on progressing each day.

He added that he does hope he will be ready by Week 1 but stated he wants to be smart about his return.

“I don’t want to rush anything…and all of a sudden things are going bad quick and then I look like an idiot come Week 2 and all of a sudden I’m sitting on the bench because I wasn’t ready.” Williams said.

What it means to be ready to play is different for every player. Williams enters his eighth year with plenty of football experience, enough that his preparation is less about getting preseason reps and more about getting his mind right for the football season, he said.

Williams' positive demeanor has already been noticed by rookie tight end Trey McBride, who said that Williams has helped him primarily in the run game and film. The rookie still admitted that Williams is a bit of a "goofball."

Whether Williams is optimistic, upbeat, positive, or a goofball, the tight end is determined to enjoy his time in the NFL, whether it's on the field or rehabbing. 

"I’m still in the NFL, I’m still playing a kid's game for fun for my job," Williams said. "Injuries happen, but I’m still here, still working hard, and still having fun.”

Published
Aaron Decker
AARON DECKER