Avery Williamson will miss the entire 2019 regular season after tearing his ACL, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Friday afternoon.
Williamson, a starting inside linebacker for the New York Jets, sustained the injury during the team's second preseason game Thursday night against the Atlanta Falcons.
A six-year veteran, Williamson signed with the Jets last offseason after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Titans. A fifth-round pick in the 2014 draft, the 6-foot-1, 246-pound Williamson was an immediate starter in Tennessee, recording 377 tackles in four seasons in Nashville.
Williamson had a strong first season in New York, tallying 120 tackles to go with 3.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, a recovered fumble and an interception. Williamson was just weeks away from teaming up with free agent signee C.J. Mosley to form one of the NFL's better ILB duos in 2019.
While the Jets will immediately look for a more permanent solution for filling Williamson's spot, the job will temporarily go to Neville Hewitt, a fifth-year veteran who is entering his second season with the Jets. Last season, Hewitt recorded 39 tackles and 1.5 sacks while appearing in each of New York's 16 games, receiving four starts. Hewitt spent his first three NFL seasons in Miami, starting in seven games and recording 89 tackles in 38 games with the Dolphins.
