Rex Ryan

Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan waits for the start of his team's NFL football game against the New York Jets, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

(Seth Wenig)

Orchard Park, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams wasn't happy with the notion that some people at One Bills Drive didn't believe him when he called in sick last Wednesday, as Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Sunday morning.

Williams, who missed two days of practice because of the illness, played in Buffalo's 35-25 loss to Washington Sunday and said those who didn't believe he was sick are "not adults."

On Monday, Bills coach Rex Ryan refuted Schefter's report and said it was made up.

"The thing that I respected the most was here's a young man who would come in, try to get the game plan done and things that he was missing, he tried to make up during the week," Ryan said. "That's really where we're at. So I admire the fact that he came back and he toughed it out. I think maybe somebody else made up that part about questioning or whatever because I don't believe there's one person in this building that would ever question the fact that he wasn't legitimately sick. Because I know for a fact he was."

As for where the report came from, Ryan has no idea.

"There's nobody in this building that questioned whether Mario was sick," Ryan said. "That was what was pointed out to him. I can tell you this: I saw him with a mask on when he came in. We can get on Mario about things — this or that — but I'm going to tell you this: this young man wanted to play in the worst possible way. He never ate for three straight days, that's what I know about him. He shows up trying to get the game plan, and then to be questioned that somebody made up this thing fictitiously in my opinion, I think would set off anybody. It's certainly something that I don't believe in. Not for one second do I believe anybody --- on the coaching staff, in the locker room --- would question whether he was sick or not. Because he clearly was sick."

Of course, the fact that Williams was sick and people believed it when they saw him doesn't discount the idea that there may have been skeptics when Williams phoned in Wednesday morning.

Williams also sounded off on Ryan's defense after the Bills' latest loss, and Ryan said he understands his frustrations. There has been plenty of speculation about Williams' future with the team given his comments and the fact that the Bills could save $12.9 million on the salary cap by cutting him loose this offseason. Ryan said he would "love" to have Williams back but left the door open for change.

"Does that mean that there won't be changes along the way?" Ryan said. "No. We know, of course, the league almost turns over a third of it. A coach never wants to lose a player. That's the nature of the game. That's the unfortunate part of the game. But do I wish that Mario had 20 sacks? Heck yeah I do. No question I do. But that's not where we're at right now. But there hasn't been one thought of any player that we've had discussions about — this player's going to be here next year, this one's not — that hasn't happened with any player."