Tyrell Williams returned from a foot injury nearly two months ago, but according to reports, the painful plantar fasciitis in his foot still has not fully healed.
“Yeah, it’s been a real challenge,” Raiders head coach Jon Gruden told reporters on Friday. “We’ve had a lot of foot problems around here this year. He’s been dealing with it really since the second week of the season and he missed a few games. He came back and hasn’t really healed. He’s managed it. We try to manage him on the practice field, but give him credit, he’s playing through pain and we thank him for that.”
Williams has not shown up on the Raiders injury report in over a month, but it sounds like he’s been dealing with a lot more than the Raiders have let on – so much that the $44 million wide receiver has been taking medication before every game to manage the pain, according to offensive coordinator Greg Olson.
The question is, does the foot injury explain how ineffective Williams has been over the last two months? Hopefully it does, because Williams has shown little ability to separate in recent weeks and at times he seems to be giving less than full effort. Maybe the lingering foot injury explains both.
Either way, the Raiders have a decision to make on Williams after the season because he can be cut without the consequence of any dead money. The date to watch is 3/20 when Williams’ 2020 salary becomes fully guaranteed and he will be responsible for just over $11 million of the Raiders salary cap next year. Assuming the coaching staff feels the foot is what has been holding him back, expect Williams to be back in the fold because the list of free agents at wide receiver in 2020 isn’t expected to be spectacular.
twitter: @raidersbeat
I had planter fasciitis 6 months. Pain doesn’t even come close to describing it.