Mike Vrabel announces Patriots DC Terrell Williams diagnosed with prostate cancer

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel announced grim medical news on one of his staff members on Friday. Vrabel revealed that veteran defensive coordinator Terrell Williams has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Last month, Williams collapsed while on the sideline during a practice. He was able to get up under his own power despite a stretcher being brought out for him. He was brought onto New England’s staff this offseason after spending 2024 as the Detroit Lions’ defensive line coach/run game coordinator.

Video: in his opening remarks, Mike Vrabel shares that defensive coordinator Terrell Williams has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. pic.twitter.com/Y6OkbYAVtm

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 26, 2025

Following his collapse, Williams was forced to step away from practice. In his place, inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr stepped in to call plays for the final team period. Kuhr had previously served as the interim defensive coordinator when Williams battled his health issues in the spring. He will presumably step back into that role now following Williams’ diagnosis.

Kuhr and Williams had previously coached together with Tennessee. At the time, when he previously took over as the interim defensive coordinator, Williams took the time to praise his performance as a coach.

“Zak Kuhr has done an unbelievable job while I’ve been away, and we’ve communicated daily on just the things that need to get done,” Williams said. “He’s an unbelievably smart guy… I’ve grown to respect him in a short amount of time. I mean, we were together really, for four of those years in Tennessee, and I got the utmost respect. I think he’s going to be a superstar in this league, smart and more than anything, I think that he has the ability to connect with players.”

Williams has been a longtime assistant coach in NFL

Now in the midst of his first year with the Patriots, Terrell Williams has been a longtime assistant coach. In particular, Williams has worked with defensive line units with the Lions, Titans, Dolphins, and Raiders, going back to 2012. Prior to that, he coached in college at Texas A&M, Purdue, and Akron, among several other stops. 

The entire New England Patriots coaching staff turned over after a difficult 2024 season under then-head coach Jerod Mayo. He’d be replaced by Mike Vrabel, who went to work putting together a staff he was comfortable with. Terrell Williams, who had coached under Vrabel and been his assistant head coach as well as defensive line coach, is a major piece of that staff.