Cardinals sign Wills off Bills practice squad

Wills spent 2025 rehabbing knee issues stemming from the 2023 season. The former PFWA All-Rookie Team (2020) member may be able to find a backup role elsewhere in the NFL. He left practice early last week and may have suffered an injury.

Wills was reportedly escorted away by a member of the Bears’ training staff. The 27-year-old tackle’s career has been badly impacted by injuries. He was competing for the Bears’ starting left tackle job, but was working with the second-team offense while OT Braxton Jones worked exclusively with the first-stringers today.

It’s a prove-it deal for Wills, who missed all of 2025 while recovering from knee issues that date all the way back to 2023. The Bears re-signed left tackle Braxton Jones this week, but Willis could at least give him a run for the starting job in camp. More likely is that Wills will serve as a swing tackle for Chicago this year.

Wills suffered an MCL injury in 2023 that resurfaced in 2024. He appeared in just 13 games across the two seasons and then chose to sit out the 2025 season to fully recover from his knee issue. He is now a free agent and there will be plenty of teams willing to take a flyer on the former No. 10 overall pick. Schultz notes that he will have more visits next week, with teams likely wanting to do medical testing on his knee before working out a contract.

Wills missed much of last season with a knee injury and per Schultz is “planning to sit out most — or possibly all — of the upcoming season to fully recover.” The former 10th overall pick of the Browns had a career-worst 52.9 PFF blocking grade in 2024 and both his playing time and grades have declined steadily since 2022. It’s possible he surfaces in-season ala D.J. Humphries in 2024.

Wills will be eligible to return in Week 18, though that doesn’t seem likely. The former No. 10 overall suffered an MCL injury last year that limited him to just eight games. The issue lingered into 2024, resulting in just five appearances for Wills this season. Wills also admitted that he made a “business decision” not to play in a game versus Baltimore this year because of the knee issue. While it makes sense on paper for a player in a contract year to not play hurt, that doesn’t fly in the NFL. Wills’ draft pedigree should earn him a short-term deal as a starter in free agency, though his time in Cleveland is over.

The Browns also ruled out Jedrick Wills, who will miss his fourth-straight game after briefly returning in Week 9. Tillman suffered a concussion in Week 12 against the Steelers and will now miss his second-straight game, but will hopefully have a chance to suit up in Week 15 when the Browns play host to the Chiefs.

Wills was benched for Dawand Jones a few weeks ago after making “a business decision” to not play through his knee issue. The impending free agent may have played his last snap for the Browns. Jones went down with a season-ending injury last week. Germain Ifedi took his spot in the lineup and will stay there for Week 12.

Kay Cabot notes that Wills Jr.'s knee injury flared up. He told reporters this week that he was benched earlier in the season for making a “business decision.” Wills Jr. was referring to not trying to play through an injury against the Ravens earlier in the year. He was off the injury report, but played only two snaps in Week 9 before the Browns bye week. Now he’s hurt again and won’t play against the Saints. The former first round pick is set to hit free agency this offseason.

He declined to face the Ravens hurt and was replaced at left tackle by Dawand Jones. Wills Jr. has come off the injury report since, but played just two offensive snaps in Week 9. It sure sounds like the Browns are punishing him for not wanting to play through the injury. Wills Jr. will be a free agent this offseason and will probably be a stopgap left tackle option at worst.