Buffalo Bills: Is Kyle Williams Set to Retire?
By Paul Taylor
After a tough campaign for the Buffalo Bills, Kyle Williams is unsure if he wants to put his body through another season of punishment.
Kyle Williams is a man with a lot on his mind. In particular, he is giving serious thought to hanging up his cleats, after 11 seasons with the Buffalo Bills.
In fairness, who can blame Williams? He struggled with a back injury late in the 2016 season and saw the team’s playoff hopes vanish yet again, with a record of 1-3 over the final four games of the campaign.
Given those circumstances, the 33-year old’s comments after the last game of the season, came as little surprise. Speaking to Jerry Sullivan of The Buffalo News and the rest of the media, he said: “I’ll evaluate everything over the next couple of weeks.
“What I did well, what I could have done better, an introspective deal. I’ll look at everything.”
One thing Williams won’t do, is rush any decision: “As far as a timeline, I don’t really have one. We’ll kind of go with the flow.”
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Understandably, a lot of Bills’ fans will be eager to see the four-time Pro Bowler return in 2017. There is also the small matter of the final year of his contract, with him set to earn $6.8 million in salary and bonuses.
However, this is not about money. After all, the former fifth round draft pick has already earned more than he ever imagined, since entering the NFL.
No, this is about deciding whether it’s worth Williams putting his body through another 16 games of punishment. A big part of his decision will be influenced by what direction the Bills take.
Williams said: “I kind of want to know where we’re headed…It’s hard to tell you anything concrete at this point.
“But we’ll see how things play out over the next few weeks. See what the plan is, see what their plan is, and we’ll see.”
Given the Bills’ struggles, along with the fact the Ruston, Louisiana native was coming back from meniscus surgery, he had a productive 2016 campaign. This included recording five sacks and registering 64 total tackles.
This only further complicates whether or not Williams will leave the organization he cares deeply for: “I love being a Buffalo Bill; that means a lot to me…Any kind of decision will have emotion in it.”
Overall, whatever the 2010 First-team All-Pro does, Bills’ fans should respect his decision – after everything he’s done, he’s earned that common courtesy. Just know that he is genuinely torn on what he should do.
Williams said: “I have a lot of things to process, as far as the season and trying to figure those things out moving forward. There’s a whole lot of guys in here who aren’t going to be here, whether it’s retirement or moving in a different direction.
“I just worry about the things I can control. Healing up a little bit, go spend time with the family and evaluate the year and always looking to get better.”
Next: Where does Russ Brandon fit into this mess?
Given Williams’ comments, what’s your take? Do you believe he will return for another season or do you think he will retire, and why? Share your thoughts in the comments section.