New York Jets linebacker Avery Williamson has suffered a torn ACL and will miss the entire 2019 campaign, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
This is a truly devastating blow, as Williamson was one of the best players on the Jets defense.
The 27-year-old is coming off of a terrific season in which he played all 16 games and racked up 120 sacks, three sacks, an interception, a couple of forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and six passes defended.
Williamson, who played his collegiate football at the University of Kentucky, was originally selected by the Tennessee Titans in the fifth round (151st pick overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft.
He appeared in all 16 contests during his rookie campaign, totaling 79 tackles, three sacks and a pair of fumble recoveries. Then, the following year, Williamson participated in 15 games and registered 102 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and a pick.
The Cleveland native continued to be one of the most consistent players on the Titans defense in 2016 and 2017, playing in every game both years and logging 104 and 92 tackles, respectively, while accumulating five sacks over those two seasons.
New York then signed Williamson to a three-year, $22 million deal last offseason, and he went on to have the best year of his career in his first season with the club.
Williamson was set to form a fearsome duo with C.J. Mosley inside, but now, the Jets, who are considered a sleeper team by some heading into 2019, must figure out how to plug that hole.
New York won just four games in 2018 and has not made the playoffs since the 2010 campaign.
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