Former Alabama Offensive Lineman Planning to Sit Out Most of Next NFL Season

Free agent offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. wants his lingering knee injury from last season to fully recover.

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (71) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Former Alabama standout offensive tackle Jedrick Wills suffered another setback and is expected to miss a large portion of the 2025 NFL season, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

"Sources: Free agent OT Jedrick Wills, who dealt with a lingering knee injury last season, is planning to sit out most — or possibly all — of the upcoming season to fully recover and get back to 100%," Schultz wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).

"Wills, the former Browns’ top 10 pick, has drawn interest from multiple teams and is still just 26 years old — but he believes taking this time off is the best move for the long-term future of his career."

Wills played in a large majority of the Cleveland Browns' games during the first three years of his career, but he's logged a combined 13 contests over the last two seasons.

Wills experienced a recurring right knee injury during the 2024 NFL season, ultimately leading to him being placed on injured reserve and ending his year earlier than he had hoped. He also suffered a season-ending knee injury in November 2023, requiring arthroscopic surgery.

Wills elected for free agency on March 10 and it looks like he won't be signing with a new team anytime soon.

Wills showed a lot of promise during the first couple years of his NFL career, as he was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2020 and finished top-20 among all NFL offensive linemen in sacks allowed during his first two seasons. Once his knee is eventually healed, he's still young enough to enter his prime.

Wills dominated opposing edge rushers and defensive linemen while at Alabama, as the 2017 CFP national champion was a First Team All-SEC member in 2019 and landed on the All-American Second Team that same year.