Terrell Williams is highly regarded for his work with defensive lines. Quinn Harris / Getty Images
New England Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams was declared cancer-free after four months of treatment for prostate cancer, the team confirmed to The Athletic.
Williams, 51, will travel with the team to the San Francisco Bay Area ahead of Super Bowl 60 between the Patriots and Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium on Feb. 8. It will be the first time he has traveled with the team since receiving his diagnosis on Sept. 11.
Despite not going on team road trips, Williams has been involved with the Patriots during the season. He has kept in contact with players and attended meetings at team headquarters.
Coach Mike Vrabel reportedly informed the team that Williams was cancer-free before New England’s divisional-round victory over the Houston Texans on Jan. 17. Four months earlier, Vrabel had announced Williams’ cancer diagnosis to the media.
Zak Kuhr, originally hired as inside linebackers coach, has been the interim defensive coordinator since Week 2. Under his guidance and play calling, the Patriots’ defense has been one of the league’s best. They gave up only 26 points total in three playoff victories and allowed 11 rushing touchdowns during the 17-game regular season.
Williams initially sought medical help a day after the Patriots lost their regular-season opener to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 7. He had been vomiting and had flu-like symptoms. Doctors discovered the cancer, which had spread throughout his body. He began chemotherapy treatments in mid-October.
Williams played college football at East Carolina, then became an assistant at the college level for 12 years. He is a longtime confidant of Vrabel, working as an assistant coach for five years with the Tennessee Titans before serving as the Detroit Lions’ defensive run game coordinator in 2024.