RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Connor Williams was a spectator for his first day of practice as a member of the Seattle Seahawks.
He won’t be a spectator for very long.
Barely eight months after suffering a torn ACL, Williams was back on the practice field on Monday as the newest member of the Seahawks after signing a one-year deal worth up to $6 million last week.
For now, he’s just watching as part of a ramp-up toward getting him on the practice field sometime after Seattle returns from joint practices and a preseason game this week in Tennessee against the Titans.
But it’s clear all signs are pointing toward Williams being ready for the season opener on Sept. 8 and with him as Seattle’s starting center.
“I always like building so building with a new team, with a whole new program and everything and then how they pursued me and how they wanted me, I think it made a great mutual fit,” Williams said.
Williams is coming off a season cut short by injury after tearing the ACL in his left knee in Week 14 while playing for Miami. At the time of his injury, Williams was rated as one of the top centers in the NFL by Pro Football Focus.
Williams signed a two-year deal with Miami before the 2022 season and started every game he played in over those two seasons with the Dolphins. Prior to his time in Miami, Williams spent his first four seasons in Dallas, where he made 51 starts in the regular season.
The injury changed his plans for the offseason. Williams said he wanted to wait until it was clear in his recovery that he could be ready for the start of the season before considering where to go.
Williams estimated that he’s about 95% at this point with the regular season less than a month away.
“I think the whole time I felt like I had a chance. I took the offseason slowly and steady, and with my methodical approach to it. I had belief in it all the way,” Williams said.
Adding Williams allowed Seattle to trade Nick Harris back to Cleveland on Sunday and pick up an additional sixth-round pick in 2026 as part of the deal.
That leaves Williams and Olu Oluwatimi, a fifth-round pick in 2023, as the options at center for Seattle. Oluwatimi seemed to be the presumptive starter, but even before the trade Harris had been thrown into the mix.
But adding Williams should solidify the five Seattle wants up front. Charles Cross will start at left tackle with Laken Tomlinson at left guard. Anthony Bradford or rookie Christian Haynes appear to be the options at right guard, with veteran George Fant expected at right tackle until Abraham Lucas is able to get back on the field because of a knee issue that cost him most of last season.
“Our offensive line, to a high degree, drives our football team and we expect great things out of them,” coach Mike Macdonald said.
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