A crunch-time Mike Williams slip played a key role in the Jets losing to the Bills on Monday night, perhaps pushing the Davante Adams trade across the goal line. With Adams en route to New York, the team is looking to find a trade partner for Williams.
Some around the league are wondering if the Jets will gauge Williams’ trade value, according to veteran insider Josina Anderson, and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio adds that is indeed happening. The Jets are attempting to trade the recent free agency pickup, who is tied to a one-year deal worth $10MM.
Signing Williams shortly after his Chargers release, the Jets waited for the former top-10 pick to be cleared from his ACL rehab. The team has since used the eighth-year veteran on 53% of its offensive snaps. A fit with Aaron Rodgers has proven elusive, and Allen Lazard — a player who had fallen to healthy-scratch status in 2023 — has largely usurped Williams in Gang Green’s target tree. Williams has just 10 receptions for 145 yards through six games.
Last week brought rumblings of this path forming for the Jets, who are now 2-4 after a game that featured an open Williams slipping on the MetLife Stadium turf as Taron Johnson swooped in for a pivotal interception. With desperation sinking in, the Jets have both acquired Adams for a conditional third-round pick and may well be ready to end the Haason Reddick impasse with a trade as well. Williams is now part of this equation, with Adams — after three missed games due to a hamstring injury — in play to suit up in Week 7.
Postgame, Rodgers said Adams ran the wrong route on the play that ended a potential Jets go-ahead drive. Quarterbacks regularly take blame for wideouts’ mistakes, but a candid Rodgers did not in this particular instance. Rodgers doubled down during his Pat McAfee Show appearance Tuesday, indicating (h/t ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini) Williams “wasn’t in the right spot.” In the coming days, Williams may well be tasked with learning another team’s scheme.
The Panthers and Steelers also scheduled Williams meetings this offseason, but the WR’s Jets visit producing a deal nixed both. It is now worth wondering if Pittsburgh, which has been connected to a receiver trade in the months since, would still be interested.
The Chargers had made the Clemson product part of their route back to cap compliance, cutting Williams first and then trading Keenan Allen to the Bears. The Jets had pursued Allen as well. Months later, two-thirds of their starting WR corps figures to include ex-Packers. Lazard, who caught Rodgers’ latest Hail Mary effort Monday, has 26 receptions for 354 yards and five touchdowns this season. Lazard’s five TD catches lead the league, coming after he scored all of one TD in 2023. The Jets have Lazard tied to a four-year, $44MM deal; they passed on cutting the former UDFA due to his 2024 base salary being guaranteed.
Williams has two 1,000-yard seasons on his resume, the most recent coming in 2021, when Justin Herbert became the AFC’s Pro Bowl starter. Williams totaled 1,146 yards and nine touchdowns that season, being used more as a midrange target compared to a deep weapon. The 6-foot-4 wideout had been tied to a three-year, $60MM Bolts deal entering 2024, but back and knee injuries hampered him during his final years in Los Angeles. A prior history of nagging injuries will also factor into Williams’ trade value.
The 30-year-old receiver will not come close to fetching what Adams did in a deal, and with $6.47 of Williams’ base salary remaining, the Jets may need to take on some of that amount to boost trade compensation. The Jets can aim for a Day 3 pick, and Williams may be the next WR dealt on a market that may or may not include DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk, Diontae Johnson and Amari Cooper. Some significant movement could commence ahead of this year’s deadline (Nov. 5).
lol good. was high on him when he signed, dreaming of him being that 50/50 guy he was on LAC but he hasnt looked good this season. Maybe hes not a scheme fit or maybe hes not 100%, though thats not an excuse for running the wrong route and then slipping on said route.
@begamin it’s 100% Rodgers. Williams is a jump ball receiver he’s getting balls thrown to his knees. He’s not the guy that lays out.
If you’re an NFL WR, you lay out when the game is on the line.
If your a quarterback you shouldn’t throw it 5 yards short. Williams has never had that problem but he never had to do it
he ran the wrong route… but ok you want rodgers to chuck it to where the safeties were lmao got it
how you come to the conclusion that a WR isnt responsible for catching the ball and running the correct route is beyond me
Was it a incorrect route or incorrect spot because Rodgers should’ve adjusted that was a bad throw regardless.
it was the wrong route
Rodgers blasting him in the post game presser and now at his behest having Williams shopped because of it shows way more problems with your franchise then a receiver running the wrong route.
its not his behest that hes being shopped, its that they got adams, and now they have 1 too many WRs and hes the weakest link. its really that simple lmao get a grip
It’s for the best. Dude is lost out there and the scheme doesn’t amplify his strengths. Off top of my head top landing spots for Mike could be Giants, Rams, Saints, Ravens, Patriots, Cowboys, Steelers or Jaguars
eh cant see the Pats. division rivals, and Mike Will wont change Pats outlook now or in the future as hes a 30 y/o oft injured guy on a one year deal. Ravens, Rams i can get behind. Steelers too i suppose
You could maybe argue a veteran receiver might be good for Maye, kind of like the Panthers thought behind bringing in Thielen for Young. Especially if you can bring in a draft asset if the Jets are looking to dump his deal.
Maybe, but the incentive needed for Jets to want to actively aid in Mayes development is likely too expensive.
Patriots makes sense because this is a rebuild year for a new regime in New England with very very young wideouts and a new franchise rookie QB. Williams could be a great tool in Mayes development if they build chemistry
Steelers is a no brainer. I’d challenge the casual fan to name 4 WRs on that roster not named Pickens
Jaguars are selling for sure but that could include Kirk and swap with Williams
Jags just traded a veteran: they’re selling, not buying:
Patriots are extremely unlikely, Jets don’t want to help them under any circumstances.
The rest are solid possibilities.
I can tell you as a Steeler fan that the word during the offseason was that they did pursue Williams but he got a better offer/better promise of playing time from the Jets.
Cowboys would be crazy to pursue a receiver when they have so many other issues… which is exactly why I can see Jerry thinking it’s a good idea.
Maybe the Commanders as well. But all of those teams you mentioned are definitely options as well.
Hahahaha, even Count Dooku could have predicted this
Why not go back to the Chargers?
Yeah back to LAC
Or the Raiders as part of the Adams trade
The Raiders will need a receiver to fill the void
Raiders have plenty of receivers, they are all hurt. Adding any more would only hurt their draft position.
@lefty atleast Herbert knows how to throw to him. He likes the ball high. Not short on the ground.
He’s not a running back, they have no use for him.
@technically you do realize steelers, broncos, and chiefs have good run defenses. The problem is they need another receiver. Teams know they are running
Omar Khan on Line 1. And Line 2.
That game was painful to watch
Slip? That ball was underthrown by ten yards….but when you rely on a 40-year old athlete you should expect him performance befitting a 40-year old.
Exactly, he had a better shot catching that ball on his butt than his feet.
It looked underthrown because Williams either went the wrong way or altered his route to go to the open spot. Rodgers threw it to where he thought that Williams would be, per the called play. That’s why it was inside a bit, because it was supposed to go to that seam side, not to the out towards the sideline. Rodgers’ explanation makes sense-it’s also what it looked like in real time. It seems to me that Williams was trying to capitalize on something that he saw in coverage, and Rodgers didn’t know.
I’d say that it was a good thought and good attempt, but you can’t do that when your quarterback doesn’t know what you’re doing and he’s already held it for a ton of time on a long developing route. My guess is that Rodgers is mad at himself for not seeing that, and mad at Williams for changing it up without him knowing, but is probably more mad at Williams’ other drops, like the one right in his chest on the play before.
So, I see what Williams was probably trying to do and I think that he was trying to make a play, but he should have stuck to his route. Even if Rodgers had known, he was running out of time in the pocket. Part of the communication is, however, on Rodgers indirectly. In my opinion, this is where Rodgers’ off-season work with his receivers is important-learning communication and tendencies. In this specific case, though, I can’t blame the quarterback for this specific mistake.
Rodgers’ arm, for the record, seems more than fine. Unless you missed the Hail Mary to end the half…which went 52 yards in the air. To the comment or that said that Rodgers can’t high point a receiver…you have a point about the type of receiver that Williams is, but Lazard caught a few of those balls last night. Rodgers has the physical ability. The offense is just inconsistent and clunky, or has been until last night. Williams has looked like he’s playing catch-up, which isn’t entirely his fault. My doubts about him were inclined to health and availability, because Rodgers is actually one of the best ever at the back shoulder throw, which Williams can dominate. I saw him filling that role, though I was iffy about consistency, which has been a question for him after injury.
So, I think that Williams has value, but he has been disappointing as well. He’s still a useful receiver, but to this point, is most useful on a team with an accurate veteran who make that throw. Rodgers is one, but obviously the communication and consistency isn’t there, as demonstrated last night.
well.. Rodgers said he wanted Williams outside the numbers. but Mike only fell because he was headed there (outside) but had to turn back INSIDE to middle of field because ball was not getting there (outside the numbers). Rodgers can whine about MW not being there, but then Rodgers did NOT throw to where he said he wanted MW! If he did, probably a catch, and definitely NOT an INT. Rodgers should have throw it farther outside, just as he said, but he didn’t.
Yes, I wrote that backwards. My mistake. But Williams still ran the wrong route. He was supposed to go to the red line, not an in breaker. Williams altered his route, and Rodgers tried to adjust at the last second because he was already throwing it. It didn’t look to me like Williams was running there at the time that the ball came, but it did look like that was where Rodgers thought he was going. When you watch the play, you can EASILY see that Williams was wayyy too far inside in RUNNING the route, NOT in turning outside. So, Williams began the route way too inside, and then looked like he was turning inside right before the ball was thrown. Rodgers is right-Williams ran the route like six or seven yards too far inside. Emmanuel Acho did a quick video explaining it, if needed.
So, yes, Williams ran the wrong route, and the reporter asked what happened, so Rodgers told him.
@ak what Aaron said doesn’t really bother me. As a charger fan just know Williams strengths, and he’s not washed. He’s not known for his route running. That was Keenan’s job. You just to throw it up, and he will catch it and get hard afterwards maybe Aaron was trying to protect him from getting clobbered, but that’s how he’s always been even from Clemson.
I actually don’t disagree, and I don’t think that Williams is washed. However, he has become inconsistent due to injuries taking their toll. Williams is very good at a specific thing in receiving (the high point go get it ball), which used to be a prominent, if not preeminent, skill for a number one receiver. In my personal estimation, it still is. However, mental mistakes and inconsistencies in the other areas that you mentioned held him back, so he became a specialized big man receiver. That’s still a highly prized role for an accurate quarterback, but Williams’ inconsistency and availability issues are what makes him an addition rather than a focal point.
I actually still don’t think that he and Rodgers couldn’t, in another realm, be an effective duo. Right now, however, the Jets’ offense is so haphazard that they can’t sustain inconsistency at the number two spot. Some of this is, as I said, Rodgers’ fault. It’s not because Rodgers is under throwing Williams; it’s because Williams and Rodgers aren’t on the same page. Wilson has had this issue, too. Rodgers has been and still is one of the best back shoulder quarterbacks in NFL history, but precision in ball placement is only half of that. Timing is the other. A lot of that takes experience together-there are a ton of people on this offense playing together for the first time after all, including linemen and backs-but Rodgers really hurt this effort by not working as intensely with his receivers in the off-season and taking trips. That’s by the far the biggest thing that Rodgers did to influence this start. On the field, though, Williams and the others need to be consistent so Rodgers can find them.
The biggest factor contributing to this is, of course, not any of these players-it’s the environment and coaching. Hackett was terrible. He didn’t establish an identity other than Rodgers going out and throwing it a hundred times. Saleh was fired for noticing. The Jets right now are having to start over six games in and at a deficit-that’s why they’re bringing Adams in. It’s not for the on-field production exactly; it’s for the purpose of getting continuity so an identity can be established. Minus firing Saleh, it seems that they’re making the moves that they should have two months ago, despite Johnson’s meddling.
I know what you meant, but it was Williams who ran the wrong route. Give Adams time, I’m sure he will as well.
The entire Jets franchise is a carnival of blunders. But sure, they single out the guy that slipped on a play because their QB is a shell of his former self.
Two straight weeks there was a pivotal interception thrown his way while he was on the ground.
@appalachian not sure he slipped it was underthrown. Every ball thrown to Williams was low he’s not that type of receiver. If Aaron wasn’t scared of the hit and put it up it would’ve been caught.
What’s his value with the tire marks after Rodgers drove that bus over him
Jets will be lucky to get a 6th round pick for Williams. More likely it will be most likely be a conditional 7th rounder that can improve to a 6th round pick of certain playing time or performance metrics are met by Williams with his new team.
Chiefs can use him and dump Moore in the process.
Like he would have caught that pass if he hadn’t slipped. The ball was at his feet…
I bet he’ll be better later in the season. He’s moving like he doesn’t trust his body yet. But it also seems like he and Rodgers don’t trust each other. KC could make sense. Could also see Washington.
@oooof I think it’s just different styles Rodgers likes the guys that lay out. Williams is not that guy. That’s why he has back problems because he jumps and gets smashed. If chargers can get him for a 5th do it.
Rodgers is known for bring very strict about his WRs being where they are supposed to be. You can see he doesn’t trust Williams and last night was the last straw.
@plus3 a rookie Herbert didn’t care because he knew what he could catch not something on his shoes. I’m not bashing Rodgers but every throw Rodgers did wasn’t what Williams is known for. it comes down to offensive coordinator or Rodgers. He will be a bargain for whoever gets him. It’s no coincidence why they have been bottom in offense and darnold is balling out.
It comes to Rodgers probably. Maybe it isn’t a good fit with him and Williams. They practiced in training camp afterall and if AR isn’t throwing him the ball by now, it’s never going to work. Let’s see how Adams works out. They needed a WR like that last night.
Going to KC
No one is safe from Aaron’s wrath…..
Not sure about cap space, but the Chiefs could probably get him without giving up much at all.
Sam, it was Williams who ran the wrong route, not Adams (beginning of fifth paragraph).