Wide receiver Mike Williams spent the first seven seasons of his NFL career with the Chargers, forming strong connections first with Philip Rivers and later with Justin Herbert before he was jettisoned in a cost-saving move by the salary cap-strapped team roughly one year ago.
Williams and the Chargers were reunited Wednesday, when he and the team agreed on a one-season contract reportedly worth up to $6 million. Fox Sports was the first to report the deal, a move that bolsters the Chargers’ wide receiver corps and gives Herbert another experienced and reliable target.
The 30-year-old Williams signed with the New York Jets after the Chargers released him last year, playing nine games before the Jets traded him to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played another nine games with the Steelers, but he was not a featured target for either team, catching a total of 21 passes.
Williams caught 19 passes in three games with the Chargers before he suffered a season-ending knee injury in a Week 3 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in 2023. He also suffered a small fracture in his back in a Week 18 loss to the Denver Broncos in the 2022 season, preventing him from playing in a wild-card playoff game.
Finances, rather than injuries, played a major role in Williams’ departure, however. The Chargers were well over the salary cap a year ago and cut Williams, traded wide receiver Keenan Allen and asked outside linebackers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack to restructure their contracts.
The Chargers’ passing game didn’t click as well as hoped without Allen and Williams during the 2024 season, but Herbert did form a bond with rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who broke Allen’s franchise records for a rookie with 82 receptions for 1,149 yards. Allen had 71 catches for 1,046 yards in 2013.
Signing a player of Williams’ caliber also fills a void created when Joshua Palmer agreed to a three-year, $36 million contract with the Buffalo Bills. Palmer caught 39 passes for 584 yards and one touchdown last season, falling short of expectations in the absence of Allen and Williams.
Palmer, 25, set career highs with 72 catches for 769 yards during the 2022 season.
Herbert, who was hampered by a plantar fascia injury during training camp and a sprained ankle in the early weeks of the regular season, threw for 3,870 yards. It was the second consecutive season he failed to top 4,000 yards after he did so in each of his first three seasons in the NFL.
Williams will provide Herbert with an additional, sure-handed target, having averaged 53 receptions on 88 targets plus 819 yards and five touchdowns per each 17-game season over his eight-year career in the NFL. Overall, he has 330 receptions for 5,104 yards and 32 touchdowns during his career.
Williams’ most productive season was 2021, when he caught 76 passes for 1,146 yards and nine touchdowns. Herbert set a Chargers record by throwing for 5,014 yards during the 2021 season, his second in the NFL. He also threw a career-high 38 touchdown passes and was selected for the Pro Bowl.
The Chargers picked Williams seventh overall in the 2017 draft out of Clemson.
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