New York Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams has had a tough season. The usually reliable veteran missed three games earlier this year with a knee injury and has been playing through a neck injury of the past month that has limited him from being his dominant self.
All of that has been made tolerable for Williams now that the Giants are headed to the NFC Playoffs.
“The winning makes it better, for sure,” Williams told reporters on Thursday as the Giants prepare for their season finale against the Eagles this Sunday.
The game means nothing to the Giants and everything to the Eagles. It is a rare position the Giants — and Williams — find themselves in.
“It’s all been worth it. The pain has been — I’ve been dealing with it (the pain) and playing. It’s paid off the fact that we have a playoff spot. It’s worth it,” Williams said.
Williams was drafted sixth overall by the New York Jets in the 2015 NFL draft and was traded to the Giants midway through eh 2019 season. He went from one bad situation to another.
Williams has played 124 games in his eight seasons as a pro, all in the regular season. He has yet to play in a postseason game. That will change next week when the Giants play in the wildcard round against either Minnesota or San Francisco.
That aside, Williams may be one of the key starters the Giants choose to sit to give them extra rest for the postseason. That would be fine with the former USC star.
“I’m really willing to do whatever is best for the team at this point, which I’ve been doing all year. Whatever is going to get our team to the best position to — at the end of the day our goal, every team’s goal in the beginning of the season, is to get a championship. That’s our goal at the end of the day. Whatever is going to be the best for us to get to that point, I’m going to do it.”
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