New England Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams suffered his first heartbreak when he was diagnosed with cancer in September 2025. His availability inside the locker room was limited. He was not expected to fully return this season, especially for the Super Bowl LX showdown against the Seattle Seahawks. However, head coach Mike Vrabel’s recent announcement has added another layer of excitement among the fans.

“Vrabel: DC Terrell Williams will travel with the #Patriots to the Super Bowl,” reported Andrew Callahan on X.

Williams was undergoing a medical treatment after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. The team’s medical personnel were constantly assisting him in getting back to the field. During his absence, the linebackers coach, Zak Kuhr, was tasked with the playcalling duties.

Unfortunately, this was not the first time the 51-year-old coach suffered a medical setback. Back in August 2025, Williams collapsed during the team practice. Thankfully, the management staff confirmed it to be nothing more than dehydration. Amid his recovery, the DC returned to the Patriots’ camp back in December.

Despite his health preventing him from being an active part in the locker room, he kept himself busy crafting the best mechanism to help the franchise grow defensively. He also interacted with players to further help in making the perfect defensive strategies.

Williams has been a major piece in turning the franchise around. The Patriots were struggling with a poor 4-13 record in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons. After his arrival in 2025, he built the defense brick by brick for the first time since 2016. They finished the season with a strong 14-3 record.

The Patriots’ defense averaged only 18.3 points per game (4th), which is almost 7 points less than last season’s (24.5 PPG). Even in total defense, they only allowed 295.2 points per game (8th).

The metrics indicate why Vrabel often vested his faith in Williams since his return means much more to the team. Star wideout Stefon Diggs and the team captain Marcus Jones were quite happy to hear the news as they shared their admiration for the coach.

“It means a lot,” Jones said this week. ”First off, battling what he had to battle through and everything like that, so we’re glad that he’s feeling way better. And then he has a lot of the situation of hard work and dedication when it came down to this defense from the beginning,” he added.

Moreover, Williams’ capabilities were quite visible when he worked with coach Vrabel for almost six years in the league.

Mike Vrabel and Terrell Williams’ history dates back to Tennessee days

Both Mike Vrabel and Terrell Williams were hired by the Patriots in 2025. It was a sweet reunion for both of them after having coached together for the Tennessee Titans from 2018 to 2023. Vrabel served as the head coach while Williams took over the defensive line.

They helped the franchise reach three consecutive playoffs from 2019 to 2021 and won the AFC South Division title twice while showcasing their command over defensive strategies.

Under Williams, the Titans’ defense excelled. They finished the 2018 season ranked eighth overall (333.4 yards per game), third in points allowed (18.9 per game), and 10th on third downs (36.6 percent). The franchise recorded only a 44.7 touchdown percentage (2nd in the red zone).

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Vrabel has always been confident in his DC.

“This is a hard business. This is tough,” Vrabel said. “When you do this, you have to have people that you trust implicitly, that are loyal. He’s been that. He [Williams] has an ability to reach everybody, and it always kept me in perspective.”

In 2024, the duo parted ways for different roles. Vrabel was hired by the Cleveland Browns as the coaching and personnel consultant. Similarly, Williams left for the Detroit Lions as the defensive line coach/run game coordinator.

Now, the duo is back in the locker room and is eyeing a Super Bowl title. After defeating three of the top five defenses in the postseason, the Patriots now have a formidable Seahawks team waiting to avenge their loss from Super Bowl XLIX. There can’t be a perfect fairy tale story. Coach Vrabel and Williams need to win this!