Preston Williams looking to regain prominent role after down year: ‘I still believe I’m that guy’

Miami Dolphins receiver Preston Williams had a very lackluster 2021 campaign, and the 24-year-old has already made it clear that he is aiming for a major bounce-back season in 2022.

Though Williams is entering free agency this offseason, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald recently noted that Williams is looking to “salvage his Dolphins career.”

Williams himself looked back on his third season at the professional level and made it clear that he did not expect to take such a large step backwards in his progression.

“I had my ups and downs,” he said of his third NFL season. “I want to put in the work to get back to where I used to be. Having injuries isn’t what I expected.”

One somewhat avoidable hurdle that Williams had to deal with this past season was the stringent COVID-19 testing regimen that unvaccinated players had to undergo.

Overall, Williams recorded just six grabs for 71 yards and zero touchdowns on the season. He played in eight games and started three of them.

His third season in the league continued a downward trend in terms of production. He recorded 32 catches for 428 years and three touchdowns in eight games in his rookie year. He followed that up with 18 catches, 288 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns in eight games in his second year in the league.

It will be interesting to see if Williams gets looked at by any other teams around the league this offseason. He has proven that he can be productive when on the field, but he has to prove that he can stay healthy.

Either way, it’s good to hear that he is dedicated to revitalize his NFL career.

“I want to be out there real bad,” he said. “Let’s start over and get back out there, getting reps at the same time as everybody else, being there for camp and not missing camp. My confidence never leaves. I still believe I’m that guy. Just waiting for my opportunity again.”

That’s the kind of attitude needed to succeed at the NFL level. Surely, Williams is already working hard to make sure that he is ready once training camp gets started.