Garrett Williams finally had his season crumble for good last year after his Achilles gave way in a play against the Falcons on Dec. 21. It was late in the season, late enough that realistically, the beginning of the 2026 season was potentially in jeopardy.

The cornerback wanted to make sure that wasn't the case.

"When it happened I kind of said in my mind, this is where I want to be at," Williams said at his locker on Wednesday, a member of the 53-man roster and potentially available for the season opener in L.A. on Sunday.

"To be at this point now, definitely happy. Once I started making progress, it started feeling more realistic as time went by. At the beginning? It's tough."

Williams had been through a rough rehab before. He tore his ACL his final year in college, and was still rehabbing after the Cardinals made him a third-round pick. He knew what it took to come back.

The biggest step? He needed to progress to get on the practice field. Williams started camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list -- meaning he was not allowed to practice -- but eventually came off PUP in mid-August.

"Regardless of who you are, you've got to practice," Williams said. "You have to get those reps in before you go out and play."

That Williams believes such a thing is no surprise; his prep habits are part of his story. That's one of the reasons defensive coordinator Nick Rallis isn't worried about dropping Williams into play on Sunday if Williams is ready. Williams, Rallis said, has always shown that preparation and intelligence.

Williams himself doesn't know when his first game back will be. But he knows he's close. And that Dec. 21 feels so far away.

"You have to be honest with yourself. That's the biggest part," WIlliams said. "What do I need to feel like to be confident when I go in and play? That's what I have been feeling. As the days go by, I'm feeling faster, I'm feeling quicker, processing quicker. That's what it is all about."