He has already undergone surgery on his left wrist, “to put it back together.” He’s holding off on surgery on his still-sore left knee. His damaged right thumb is not feeling too bad. These are constant, nagging reminders of his profession, but Brian Williams insists he has not thought about his future in football.
“Not even for a minute,” Williams said recently from his home on Lake Waconia in Minnesota. “Not about anything. I’m enjoying my out-of-season like I always do. I’m playing daddy.”
Soon enough, Williams will be forced to decide whether he will ever again play for the Giants. The start of the free-agency signing period (Feb. 11) is fast approaching, and the Giants must know if Williams is set to return at center, or else it’s an area they need to address.
Williams, 33, returned last season after missing the previous two years with a serious eye injury. He started 12 games, missing one with a thumb injury and three with sprained knee ligaments, and never regained the form he displayed before his eye injury. He’s an experienced player and established leader, and the Giants want him back, but he hinted at retirement at the end of the season.
The tricky part comes when finances factor in. Williams is set to cost the team $2.79 million against next season’s salary cap, and he’s due on March 1 to be paid a roster bonus of $500,000. That’s a huge investment in a player whose performance did not match that salary.
“The cap is the cap,” general manager Ernie Accorsi said. “We need to find out between now and then.”
Williams said he knows he must make a decision sooner rather than later, and the Giants’ front office believes Williams will opt against retirement.
“I haven’t even thought about it,” he said. “I’m not leaning toward anything. I probably watched only half the Super Bowl. Football’s not on my mind right now. I’m not weighing anything. I just need to get away from football right now. When the time comes, in the next couple of weeks, I’ll make the decision.”
Without Williams, the Giants would be left with Derek Engler as an option at center, and the team would likely be forced to sign an experienced lineman.
“The main thing is I know I can’t leave the Giants in limbo. It’s not fair to them,” Williams said. “What I really have to decide is if I’m ready to dedicate 100 percent to the season. If it’s 99 percent, it’s not fair to me or my family or the Giants. I wouldn’t want to play with someone who was only willing to give 99 percent.”
Since the end of the season, the Giants signed nine players, including DE Frank Ferrara, CB Reggie Stephens, S Tre Thomas and G Scott Kiernan, who were practice-squad players last season. Also signed were WR Anthony Tucker of Fresno State, DE Jomo Cousins of Florida A&M, DE Bobby Setzer of Boise State, CB Quincy Colman of Jackson State and G Mark Nori of Boston College.
