Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams needs a break. His body is about to undergo an NFL season workload not seen since 1930 when he plays his 18th game of the 2023 campaign at the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
Williams played in the first eight games of the season with the New York Giants, who had their bye week scheduled for Week 13. Then, the G-Men flipped Williams across the country to the Seahawks in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick. On the flip side, Seattle had a Week 5 bye, putting Williams in position to play the extra, 18th game.
This makes Williams the first player to play 18 or more games in a season since 1930 when Tony Kostos and Cookie Tackwell did so while playing for both the Frankford Yellow Jackets & Minneapolis Red Jackets. Someone playing 18 games in a season in the modern NFL only became possible in 2021 when the league added an 18th week to the season with a 17th regular season contest.
Williams, unfortunately for him, will become the first NFL player to suit up for two squads during an 18-week season without a bye. On the bright side, he will receive an extra regular season game check.