First-year Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald expressed that signing free agent Connor Williams was a straightforward decision.
“It was simply an opportunity to bring a great player to our team,” Macdonald said about Williams, who officially joined the Seahawks on Sunday. “It’s really that simple.”
Ideally, Williams will become a long-term fixture in the center of Seattle’s offensive line, potentially providing the consistent anchor the team has lacked since Max Unger was traded in 2014. But for now, the team is taking a cautious approach.
On Monday, Williams donned his new Seahawks jersey, No. 57, and observed practice at the VMAC for the first time since tearing his ACL last December during a game against the Titans. The Seahawks plan to carefully monitor his recovery before allowing him to fully participate.
With the team traveling to Nashville on Tuesday for joint practices with Tennessee, Williams might not practice until the week leading up to the preseason finale against Cleveland on August 24. Macdonald indicated it was still uncertain if Williams would travel to Nashville, with the decision pending Monday night.
“We’ve got a solid plan in place,” Macdonald said. “He’ll work with the sports performance team for the next week or so until he’s ready to practice at full speed. We’re aiming for either the Cleveland week or shortly after to have him practicing.”
Regardless of when Williams returns to practice, the goal is for him to be ready for the regular-season opener against Denver on September 8.
“That’s the plan right now,” Macdonald confirmed.
Williams is optimistic about his recovery.
“I feel great,” he said after Monday’s practice. “I’m probably about 95% there. My strength is coming back, and we’re just working on a gradual return to the field.”
Williams, who is listed at 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, mentioned that his experience recovering from a right ACL tear in college helped his rehab process.
Had he not been injured in December, Williams likely would have signed a long-term deal earlier, possibly re-signing with Miami. Instead, he joined Seattle on a one-year contract worth up to $6 million, with $3 million guaranteed.
Williams acknowledged that the injury affected his free-agent prospects.
“We wanted to focus on getting healthy,” he said, explaining the decision to wait before signing. “We took a careful, long-term approach.”
Interest in Williams picked up in late July after his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, announced he was healthy. Williams visited Seattle on July 24, followed by a visit with the Ravens before finalizing his deal with the Seahawks.
“I enjoy building with a new team and a new program,” said Williams, who began his career as a second-round pick with the Cowboys in 2018 and played four years there before joining Miami in 2022. “The way the Seahawks pursued me made it a great fit, and I’m excited to be part of it.”
Once fully recovered, Williams is expected to compete with second-year player Olu Oluwatimi for the starting center job. However, the expectation is that Williams will secure the position quickly. Seattle cleared some space at the position by trading backup Nick Harris to Cleveland on Sunday, essentially swapping late-round picks in 2026.
The Seahawks also have undrafted rookie free agent Jalen Sundell, who worked with the second unit in Monday’s practice behind Oluwatimi.
“I’m eager to see Connor out here and doing his thing,” Macdonald said. “I haven’t seen him live with us yet, but we’ve got a solid plan for him, and we’ll see where he’s at in a week or so.”
Macdonald also suggested that the offensive line could use some stability after a shaky performance against the Chargers.
