Williams grateful for concussion protocol
Leonard Williams isn’t sure he ever needed to be placed in the concussion protocol, but the Jets defensive end feels fortunate he was forced to. Williams, who cleared the protocol Friday and is expected to play Sunday against the Chargers, was removed from the third quarter of last weekend’s loss to the Saints after colliding with team- mate Demario Davis.
“I was a little upset because I didn’t feel like anything was wrong, but afterwards, I talked to people and I talked to doctors, and I understand. That makes sense,” Williams said. “I wasn’t really thinking long-term at the time. I was just thinking about the moment and getting back on the field with my guys.
“But in reality, I want to play this game for as long as possible, and I want to be good after I’m done playing, so they definitely did the right thing.”
Even if Williams believes the doctors were overly cautious, he realized they were right. The issue continues to stain the sport, with frequent showcasing of poor optics — and often, judgement — when players with potential concussions seemingly return too quickly.
Coach Todd Bowles envisions defensive backs coach Dennard Wilson following his path. After cornerback Buster
Skrine praised the Jets’ first-year assistant Thursday for his help this season, Bowles added that he believes Wilson, 35, will be a “great [defensive] coordinator” and “very good [head] coach” in the future.
“I see all of that in him,” Bowles said. “He’s brought a lot of energy. I finally found one person that swears more than I do. He’s a very intelligent coach, a very passionate coach, he relates to the guys very well. He can be their buddy, but he can get on them even worse than that ... he’s been outstanding. He’s been a big part of those young guys playing well.” Right guard Brian Winters (abdomen) will not play Sunday. Running backs Matt Forte (knee) and Elijah McGuire (illness) are questionable, along with center Wesley Johnson (hip). ... Bowles wouldn’t comment on Muhammad Wilkerson’s availability after the defensive end was inactive last week.