Patriots will have a ‘road warrior’ for Super Bowl LX in defensive coordinator Terrell Williams

New England Patriots

“He deserves the victory for this upcoming match. So we’re looking forward to getting that for him.”

FOXBOROUGH — A Patriots team already entering Super Bowl LX with no shortage of motivation to draw from is receiving another major lift. 

Speaking before practice on Thursday, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said that defensive coordinator Terrell Williams — who has been undergoing treatment for prostate cancer this season — is making the trip to Santa Clara with the rest of the team on Sunday. 

“He’s doing good,” Vrabel said. “He’s excited about traveling with us. We’re excited about having him.”

Williams, who joined Vrabel’s staff this past offseason after working together for years Tennessee, has been away from the team for a majority of the 2025 season as he focuses on his health and treatment. 

The 51-year-old Williams has been around New England’s facility during the winter, with cornerback Marcus Jones welcoming his return whenever he has stopped by.

“It means a lot,” Jones said of Williams making the trip out west this weekend. “First off, battling what he had to battle through and everything like that. So we’re glad that he’s feeling way better. … From the beginning, he’s been involved whenever he didn’t have to be.” 

With Williams sidelined for most of the year, inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr has handed play-calling duties as the team’s interim DC — with New England’s defense playing its best football since the calendar flipped to the postseason.

Over New England’s three playoff games, the defense has only relinquished 26 total points.

While Kuhr and the rest of his staff have received plenty of praise from Vrabel, Williams has also remained in contact with his fellow coaches and players during his time away from the team, serving as a valuable resource for a team that is now just one win away from a Lombardi Trophy. 

“He’s as critical as part of the journey as anybody,” K’Lavon Chaisson said of Williams. “So excited for him to be able to go with us, excited for him to be able to experience everything that we went through. … He deserves the victory for this upcoming match. So we’re looking forward to getting that for him.”

The Patriots have rallied around Williams all season long, often donning t-shirts that read “T Strong.”

Now, their defensive coordinator will be with them on the road as they try to close out a Cinderella season with a win over the Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium. 

“Another road warrior,” Stefon Diggs said of Williams. “We got a lot of love and respect for Coach T. It’s admirable. Everything that he’s been through, and to see him,  even when we see him around the building — everybody’s smiling, everybody’s hollering at him. So it’s definitely a moment to just be shared with everybody. 

“This team has been through a lot,” Diggs added. “A lot of guys have been through — had some family issues, and things like health issues. It just means a lot to us to see guys that care about this game and love this game and want to be around this game and want to be around the guys that they care about. People who love football and give it everything they got. It’s just gonna be another road warrior out there.” 

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.