Mario Williams hasn’t been shy about his frustration playing for Rex Ryan this year with the Buffalo Bills, and now a report has emerged suggesting he will not be with the club next season.
Williams is having the worst statistical season since his rookie year and has voiced his displeasure at having to drop into coverage in Ryan’s 3-4 scheme on more than one occasion. After Week 6 he lamented his role within the defense, and then he spoke up again a couple weeks ago saying nothing had changed and that he was still trying to learn Ryan’s complicated playbook.
Through Week 15, the All-Pro pass-rusher only has four sacks and has been downright invisible at times.
Therefore it’s not surprising to hear, via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, that Williams is unhappy in Buffalo and that he might not be back next year.
It’s important to note he’ll need to be cut from the roster to make such a move possible. With two years left on his mammoth six-year, $96 million deal, he can’t just decide to hit free agency on his own accord. What he could do, though, is make life miserable for the Bills by making a public stink and sitting out of all team activities next year, including training camp and games.
With $8 million in dead money left on the deal the next two years, the Bills might just be willing to cut their losses for a player who isn’t performing and who isn’t happy.
Should he find himself back on the market, Williams (still just 30) will surely have no shortage of suitors from teams that feature a 4-3 defense. Before this season and a switch to Ryan’s 3-4 scheme, he had racked up 38 sacks the past three years.