The Atlanta Falcons will probably have to do without punt returner Avery Williams for the entire 2023 NFL season. The special teamer will have to undergo surgery after suffering a knee injury

Bitter pill for the Atlanta Falcons: Punt returner Avery Williams will likely miss the 2023 NFL season due to a serious knee injury.

As coach Arthur Smith confirmed in a presser on Wednesday, Williams is “probably done this year”. The 24-year-old suffered an ACL injury in last Friday’s OTAs opener and will undergo surgery this week.

Avery Williams: One of the NFL’s best returners

Smith takes it as a “good sign” that the surgery, scheduled for Thursday, will be performed less than a week after the injury: “We love Avery. He has the right mindset and we expect him to come back with a fresh drive. “

Averaging 16.2 yards of space on punt returns and 19.6 yards on kick returns, Williams is among the NFL’s best returners. As a running back, he also totalled 109 yards and a touchdown last season. On top of that, he had 61 receiving yards.

Williams began his career as a college cornerback at Boise State. In the 2021 draft, the Falcons secured his services in the fifth round.