MARCH 23: Williams’ deal will ultimately be listed as a one-year, $10MM pact with up to $5MM via incentives, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB. Coming off an ACL tear, Williams earned a $3.3MM signing bonus and will get $8.3MM in guaranteed money.
MARCH 19: Mike Williams‘ Tuesday New York trip will end his free agency tour. The former Chargers starter has agreed to join the Jets on a one-year deal worth up to $15MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.
The veteran wide receiver had booked meetings with the Panthers and Steelers, but after the Jets saw their Odell Beckham Jr. visit nixed, they will not let Williams leave the building without a contract. The team has been on the hunt for a big-name wide receiver since before last year’s trade deadline, and while more pieces may be coming, Williams represents a key part of the puzzle around WR1 Garrett Wilson.
Released by the Chargers just before the 2024 league year began, the 29-year-old receiver set up meetings with the Jets, Panthers and Steelers. His Charlotte and Pittsburgh trips were to follow this one. Williams has only played with Pro Bowl-caliber quarterbacks during his career. The former Philip Rivers and Justin Herbert target will not take a step back in quality — assuming another major injury does not occur, of course — with Aaron Rodgers set to target the former first-round pick next season.
Not dissimilar to 2022, the Jets had been connected to a slew of receiving options since they acquired Rodgers. Efforts to trade for Davante Adams, Tee Higgins and Mike Evans did not pan out, though the team was still exploring the trade market as of Sunday.
Its 2023 Beckham pursuit ended when the veteran wideout canceled his New York trip following a Baltimore agreement. Beckham remained on the Jets’ radar as of Tuesday afternoon, and while that may still be the case due to his relationship with Rodgers, Williams will give a team starved for a WR2-level target an option after its 2023 setup — largely hamstrung by QB issues following Rodgers’ Achilles tear — failed to deliver much of consequence.
The Chargers needed to trim more than $25MM from their payroll to move under the salary cap last week; Williams became the first domino to fall. The Bolts released the seven-year veteran months after his ACL tear. While the base value of Williams’ Jets deal is not known, he still generated a market despite finishing his past two seasons sidelined. A back fracture wrapped Williams’ 2022 season early, stripping Herbert of a key weapon ahead of a disastrous wild-card outing in Jacksonville.
While injuries have nagged Williams for most of his career, he has not been taken out of action too often. From 2018-21, Williams missed only three games in total. In 2022, a sprained ankle forced him out of action weeks before the back injury — sustained in a meaningless Week 18 game that became a lighting rod around Brandon Staley — ended his season. Williams suffered the ACL tear in Week 3, giving him more time to build up ahead of the 2024 season. The Jets will bet on the 6-foot-4 target, who has been one of this period’s best deep threats.
Chosen seventh overall in 2017, Williams has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume. The Clemson alum led the NFL with 20.4 yards per catch in Rivers’ final Los Angeles season, and he reached a career-high 1,146 yards in 2021, helping Herbert become the AFC’s Pro Bowl starter. The Chargers did well to make Williams more than a long-range threat that year, with OC Joe Lombardi incorporating him more as a midrange weapon alongside Keenan Allen.
The Chargers had not ruled out re-signing Williams, but after seven years of the Williams-Allen tandem, the Bolts are moving on from both. They sent Allen to the Bears for a fourth-round pick last week. The Jets guaranteed Allen Lazard $22MM at signing, keeping the ex-Packer in the picture, but they traded Mecole Hardman — to wrap what turned out to be a messy tenure — and have Randall Cobb unsigned. While the Jets had Tyler Boyd on their radar, Williams represents a higher-ceiling prize at this rather crucial point on the team’s timeline.
Another overpay
Really? A 6 ft 5 guy who can catch 10 tds and be a deep threat is an overpay? Gtfoh! It’s for 1 year
I hate to say it, but he seems to be on the downside of his career.
its still a 1 year deal
10 TDs? So you’re automatically assuming he’ll stay healthy?
One year deals are never overpays.
It’s a low risk high reward signing.
If it works out they got a good return on their investment
If it doesn’t work out it doesn’t hurt their ability to spend long term and doesn’t affect their draft picks.
When a player gets paid millions to produce and does nothing or close to it, then it is still a bad overpay on that 1 season. Baltimore sure did great overpaying odb on that 1 year deal and letting him leave now too
Right you’d rather they have signed Lazard or Smith Schuster
1 year isn’t an over pay. Sorry to bust your bubble. 1 year is 1 year. Doesn’t affect their long term out look in any way shape or form.
Odell Beckham Jr., 2023: 14 games, 35 receptions, 565 yards, 3TD
Odell Beckham Jr. 2023 compensation: $15MM
“One year deals are never overpays.”
Are you sure you want to go with that statement?????
5 mil per 189 yards and td isn’t an overpay???
1 year. That’s it. 1 year deals are never overpays cause they do absolutely nothing that hurt a teams future like signing guys to lucrative long term contracts messing up cap space if they don’t perform.
If you stated that one-year deals are preferred or advantageous because they don’t adversely affect a team’s future, I’d agree with you. But to keep insisting that one-year deals are NEVER overpays is simply incorrect. If, for instance, the Ravens had structured a deal with OBJ last year with a base of $8MM and incentives of $7MM, the $7MM which probably wouldn’t have been paid could have been forwarded and used toward this year’s cap. Even at one year, the Ravens, who usually do a very good job evaluating talent, waaaaaaaaaaaaay overpaid for Beckham last year, and it was seen that way at the time by the vast majority of observers and fans. It’s inconceivable any other team would have paid Beckham anything close to $15MM last year, considering he was coming off a significant injury, his age, and his production before his injury. No team is correct in their acquisitions 100% of the time, but not to acknowledge this example, and by extension, other deals, aren’t overpays even on a one-year deal is simply not acknowledging the truth.
1 year deals are never overpays. OVER pays.
He’s paid. Deal is done. It’s over. There’s literally no more money they owe him. He can’t be over paid cause they’re not paying him anything currently.
Guys that are over paid are currently under contract. Hence why 1 year deals are never overpays cause once it’s done you’re done paying them.
Considering the OBJ signing didnt hamper the Ravens from signing other players, its not an overpay. These owners are billionaires, the issue is never the amount cash its the amount of cap space they take up. If Mike Will ends up not playing a single snap it doesnt affect anything next offseason so who cares?
How did signing OBJ mess up Baltimore? Made it all the way to AFC champ game and were very close to going to the Super Bowl.
Yes. 1 year deals are never overpays cause it’s 1 year. Doesn’t mess up cap space doesn’t do anything that affects Baltimore’s long term outlook.
I have an acre of swamp property you can rent for just $15M. This would not be an overpay on your part because it’s only for one year…lol.
Bad analogy is bad
1. You don’t rent players. They’re not slaves.
2. Players also aren’t property. Again they’re not slaves.
3. You’re bad at business. A contract requires two people to come to an agreement. Not some idiot like yourself saying I’ll charge this much pay if.
Do better. Less slave analogies next time.
Just curious
Obj
Lazard
Smith Schuster
Who do you sign?
*hits rock bottom and shows no signs of stopping*
Mike is better than all the Giants’ WRs combined
Did you miss the part about “up to”?
Market value.
Teams are forced to buy what they can’t develop at whatever price the market dictates. If he can stay healthy it works. If not, then yea, overpay.
Correction: bad teams are more likely to be forced to pay a premium, even for players with a track record of injuries. This is a Vegas-level bet he’ll stay healthy …like Rogers.
You and your clan use the same term every time a contract is signed. It’s almost like you have zero understanding of economics, let alone the economics of sports.
link to nypost.com Maybe the Taylor ham sandwich worked! Even if it didn’t, it was worth the try and was very creative.
the breakfast sandwhich was ACTUALLY compensation in an unrelated Zach Wilson trade
Given the one year commitment and what lesser receivers are getting, I like it as a flier, but I won’t be counting on too much out of him.
He will kill it
Or get injured. Let’s be realistic.
Woody needs to extend Joey D’s contract NOW! GREAT JOB in free agency!
Genius signing of a tad bit expensive all things considered
Immediately injured after signing contract.
BuckarooBanzai —
That’s New Orleans off season prize DE Chase Young.
At least when healthy Williams won’t dog it in the field.
This is convenient, actually.
Now I know ahead of time not to draft him in fantasy.
Let’s goooo!
What should the jets do with draft pick? They signed OL and receivers.
An offensive lineman at 10 can practice on the days Tyron Smith is resting. If Odunze or Nabers is off the board, not worth the WR at 10. Bowers is interesting but someone might grab him. Just take best available
Trade down and try and pick up a 2nd round pick
QB
TE Brock Bowers
EDGE Jared Verse
OT Olumuyiwa Fashanu
OT Taliese Fuaga
DL Byron Murphy
C Jackson Powers-Johnson
QB JJ McCarthy
Trade back for more picks.
Another that could be there is Dallas Turner.
Turner is the #1 ranked EDGE atm. I left him out because I figure ATL will take him, but if he is still there when the Jets pick he could very well be the guy.
no thanks on anything defense R1, we’ve seen for two years now that a top 3 defense is still not enough to make up for lack of offensive production
Totally agree, this is the age of OFFENSE and teams need to put points on the board. TE, OT or WR needs to be the play. The Def is good but the Jets need to get the ball into the endzone.
The OBJ visit was canceled?
The article is talking about his visit last year, but he can probably have Cobb’s role for the minimum if he wants it.
OBJ wants to continue to get paid, and rightfully so. If a team is going to give him 10-13 mil, he has to take it. 1 more hit and his career could be over
Wow, a bit surprising. The Jets must’ve outbid the other teams. Thought Williams would be heading home to Carolina.
Bad teams often overpay, even for a one-year contract. Good for Williams to milk the Jets for a premium. If he stays healthy, he’ll command a better contract with a real contender next year.
My fear was that we would sign OBJ so I’m very excited for this signing. Let’s go!
Mike catches the majority of footballs thrown within his arm reach. Guy can do it deep or across the middle. His only knock has been injuries but those seem to hit all receivers these days.
The jets get a player and a humble person – he’ll create no drama.
If you think that Williams will have a good year, dream on. Not with the injury prone maga qb throwing the ball
How exactly is Rodgers injury prone? He tore his Achilles behind an embarrassingly bad line. Keep trying though
Look at his injury history. It’s reasonably long…both nagging and season Enders.
He’d missed 18 games since becoming a starter before this season, 16 of which came in 2013 and 2017. That’s not an injury prone player
what is this bizzare copium you want people to read?
Between Williams, Smith, and possibly Rodgers, the Jets have some important pieces that could easily suffer injury loss time in the coming years. They’re all great players, or have been recently, and I don’t blame the Jets at all for seeking upgrades. I would like to see them still draft good talent behind those players, should one if them miss time, though. Douglas has done an admirable job addressing his issues as best he could so far-it would make more comfortable, as an outside observer, seeing them create some more depth, however.
Williams, if healthy, should give New York an excellent outside possession/fifty-fifty option for one of the best back shoulder throwers of all time. With Wilson on the other side, you figure that Rodgers will have two excellent targets from which to choose. The Jets have a few places to go with their first pick, but you do wonder whether TE would be too tantalizing an area to address.
I dont hate this for the Jets.
I have some concerns about his back, but a one year deal is worth a shot. It could work.
The Jets should still be trying to be all in. Its a better signing than guys they tried last year.
Unless Rodgers is VP though. (Haha)
Yeah theres only so much Jets can do with so little cap room. The injury history makes this risky but it fills the much needed role of big body WR for them. Probably the best move they could make all things considered
Jets doing Jets things. This 40-year old QB failure is going to be hilarious.
Now sign a RB2; unless “those who do not learn from history…” is meaningless to them
They’ll get a solid one in the draft. Kendall Milton or braelon Allen would be solid fits
Higher AAV cause of the 1 year deal. Now they can forgo a weapon in the first and get a tackle.