The New England Patriots are still looking for the first win of the Mike Vrabel era and there are plenty of obstacles that are getting in the way. While an inconsistent performance and a disappearing act by receiver Stefon Diggs are some of the issues coming out of the Week 1 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, New England has also been distracted by the absence of defensive coordinator Terrell Williams.

Williams took a leave of absence during the spring due to a health-related issue. While he returned in July, he also suffered a dehydration-related incident where he collapsed during a training camp practice. The medical scares have resulted in some inconsistencies with the Patriots defense and Vrabel confirmed that Williams will be taking another leave when speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon.

Mike Vrabel Confirms DC Terrell Williams Leaving Patriots for Another Health Related Issue

Vrabel noted that Williams will be leaving the team during Wednesday’s press conference but said that the current health issue is not related to the one that kept him out this spring. While Williams undergoes testing the next couple of days, Vrabel and inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr will work together to coach the defense, but it’s another obstacle that likely wasn’t accounted for when Williams was hired.

Williams’s coaching career dates back to 1998 with his NFL career beginning as a defensive line coach with the Oakland Raiders in 2012. He previously worked with Vrabel as the Titans defensive line coach from 2018-22 and was promoted to assistant head coach before the 2023 season. When Vrabel was fired after that campaign, Williams served as the defensive line coach and run game coordinator for the Detroit Lions in 2024 before being hired as the Patriots defensive coordinator.

While Williams stayed in Detroit due to his health issue, he wasn’t completely absent, remaining in communication with coaches and players and watching practice tape through Zoom meetings. He also declared himself ready to go early in training camp.

“I’m ready to go. That’s why I’m here,” Williams said via WBZ News’s Matt Geagan. “Camp has been good. I feel great. It’s football and it’s normal to me. I’m happy to be back. I’m happy to be around these players and I’m happy to be here in New England.”

Williams’s next health scare happened a week later and now he’s gone for a few days as the Patriots prepare for a matchup with the Miami Dolphins. Perhaps New England has a contingency plan in place after the events of the offseason but they also allowed 389 total yards (seventh-highest in Week 1) in Sunday’s loss to the Raiders. Fixing those issues will be more difficult without their defensive coordinator around and gives New England a big challenge heading into Week 2.