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Mike Williams (Clemson)

Chargers Release WR Mike Williams

March 13th, 2024 at 11:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

Needing to clear $27MM-plus off their cap to reach compliance by the 3pm CT today, the Chargers will part with one of their starting wide receivers. They are releasing Mike Williams, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports.

Dangling Williams and their other three monster cap charges — Keenan Allen, Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa — in trades, the Chargers will clear $20MM by cutting Williams. The 2017 top-10 pick stands to become an interesting free agent, even coming off an ACL tear. The Bolts have since announced the move.

[RELATED: Latest On Chargers’ Trade Efforts]

Williams, 29, was set to carry a $32MM cap hit. The Bolts came into Wednesday with four of the NFL’s top 12 cap figures, with the above-referenced quartet all tied to numbers north of $32MM. It remains to be seen if one of the other high-profile Bolts will be jettisoned — via trade or release — but Williams is the first to go. While Rapoport adds that the Chargers would want to re-sign Williams, the high-end WR2 plans to test free agency.

One season remained on Williams’ three-year, $60MM deal. The then-Tom Teleseco-run Chargers gave Williams that contract just before free agency in 2022, and while the deal was finalized just before the Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill extensions changed the market, Williams battled injuries over the course of the pact. While Williams is coming off an ACL tear and going into his age-30 season, he has two 1,000-yard campaigns on his resume. The Clemson product has excelled as a deep threat and in the midrange, working as a key option during Justin Herbert‘s early years.

Williams cleared 1,000 yards in Philip Rivers‘ final Chargers season (2019, leading the NFL with 20.4 yards per catch) and then posted a career-high 1,146 yards to help Herbert become the 2021 Pro Bowl starter. Williams injuries wounded the Chargers over the past two years. Sustaining a back fracture during a meaningless Week 18 game in Denver, Williams could not suit up for the upcoming wild-card game in Jacksonville. The depleted Chargers’ offense struggled, and the Jaguars completed a 27-point comeback. The 6-foot-4 target also battled a high ankle sprain in 2022. Williams’ ACL tear three games into last season hurt the Bolts’ passing attack again, and ownership ousted the Telesco-Brandon Staley operation months later.

A number of teams still need receiver help. While this draft class will present yet another array of options, teams will be looking into the veteran now that he is a free agent. The WR-deficient Chiefs are quite familiar with Williams, and after missing on Darnell Mooney, would the defending champs dive in here? Williams will not command a $20MM-AAV deal coming off his knee injury, but seeing as teams to not make a habit of cutting two-time 1,000-yard receivers in their 20s, a few clubs figure to be interested in seeing what it will take to add the seven-year vet.

Patriots Inquire About Chargers’ Trade Candidates; Latest On Bolts’ Plans

March 13th, 2024 at 10:45am CST by Sam Robinson

The Chargers sit in their own space regarding cap room. As of Wednesday morning, only three teams are over the cap. But only the Bolts are more than $2MM over. Jim Harbaugh‘s team remains $25.2MM over the cap, and the deadline for cap compliance looms in less then five hours.

The team has not made a move involving the contracts of Joey Bosa, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams or Khalil Mack. These four pillars double as the Chargers’ top cap hits, with 2023 restructures creating big 2024 numbers. All four check in beyond the $32MM place, putting the Chargers in crunch time as they begin the Harbaugh era.

The team has until 3pm CT to move under the $255.4MM cap, creating one of the more interesting salary situations in years. As OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald points out, the Bolts have four of the top 12 cap hits in the NFL.

Conversations about trades have taken place, and the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed notes the Patriots have discussed at least some of these trade candidates with the Bolts. New England features needs at both receiver and edge defender, though the team has done some work on those fronts in free agency. Kendrick Bourne and Josh Uche are returning for the Pats, but neither player’s resume comes particularly close to any of the Bolts’ trade chips.

This Pats news comes as they are pursuing Calvin Ridley. The team has made an offer to the recent Jaguars 1,000-yard receiver. A Ridley pickup would seemingly move an Allen or Williams acquisition off the table. The Pats still have Matt Judon under contract, with Uche back as a sidekick — albeit one on the inconsistent side — for at least the 2024 season. If the Patriots were to acquire Bosa or Mack, the team would certainly not run out a Judon-Uche starting duo.

New England still holds more than $59MM in cap space, leaving the team capable of absorbing one of the Los Angeles contracts. The Bolts are widely expected to trade at least one of these contracts (possibly more) today, the Washington Post’s Mark Maske tweets. A trade or release transaction involving one of this foursome should be expected, ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes.

The Chargers’ cap situation will make teams less inclined to fork over major assets here, as the league knows the Bolts will have to cut a player or two if no trade can come to pass. That said, a team that does not like its chances of landing one of these players on the open market could be well served to make a trade, and the Bolts have been open to that for a bit now.

All four players are tied to deals at or north of $20MM per year. Allen, 31, has been with the Chargers since 2013. Bosa, 28, has spent eight seasons with the team. Both are among the top players at their respective positions. Mack, 33, qualifies for such a classification as well; he bounced back in a big way last season, totaling a career-high 17 sacks. Williams, 29, missed most of last season with an ACL tear. The former top-10 pick’s injury history will certainly limit his trade appeal. One season remains on Mack, Williams and Allen’s contracts; Bosa is signed through 2025.

Chargers Open To Trading OLBs Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack

March 10th, 2024 at 5:45pm CST by Ely Allen

MARCH 10: Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated confirms the Chargers have had “exploratory trade talks” concerning not only Bosa and Mack, but also both members of the Allen-Williams receiver tandem. Of those, Breer unsurprisingly notes Allen is the likeliest to stay, something which matches the veteran’s comments on his future. Still, a cost-shedding move of some kind could be coming soon on Los Angeles’ part.

MARCH 9: According to OverTheCap.com, the Chargers have the second-least amount of cap space in the NFL with only the Dolphins exceeding the salary cap by more than Los Angeles. They’re currently $21.14MM over the salary cap and are set to eat $27.31MM of dead money in 2024, also second-most in the NFL.

As a result, it appears the Chargers are exploring options to clear some cap space while potentially bringing in a bit of draft capital, as well. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports that the team is currently “open to trade offers for many veteran players including Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.”

Mack and Bosa currently make up the team’s largest two cap hits at $38.52MM and $36.61MM, respectively. Trading those two players alone, the team would be able to clear out $23.25MM (Mack) and $14.39MM (Bosa) of cap savings, though the team would be eating $15.27MM (Mack) and $22.22MM (Bosa) of dead money in the deals. The report from Russini also says “many veteran players,” though, and the next three biggest cap hits on the roster are veteran receivers Keenan Allen ($34.72MM) and Mike Williams ($32.46MM) and safety Derwin James ($19.86MM).

Would the Chargers really get rid of quarterback Justin Herbert‘s top two targets? Allen has been one of the league’s more consistent producers since 2017, as long as he stays on the field. Over that time, Allen has averaged around 75 yards per game and can usually deliver six to eight touchdowns. He’s missed 40 of a possible 179 career games, including 11 in the past two seasons, but despite four missed games in 2023, Allen averaged a career-high 95.6 yards per game and scored seven touchdowns at 31 years old.

Williams has also missed his fair share of games (27 of a possible 115), including 14 games missed with a torn ACL in 2023. When healthy, Williams has established himself as a strong WR2, twice surpassing 1,000 receiving yards and twice surpassing nine receiving touchdowns. Williams struggles to provide the same consistency as Allen but is still a strong contributor. If traded, Allen would provide $23.1MM of cap savings and result in $11.62MM of dead money, while a trade of Williams could provide $20MM of cap savings and result in $12.46MM of dead money.

James is yet another high-cost player who has struggled to stay on the field in his career. After appearing in every game as a rookie, James has missed 33 of a possible 83 games since. Despite leading the team in tackles this year, James had the worst NFL season of his career, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), grading out as the 71st best safety out of 95 graded players. Before this season, James hadn’t graded out worse than 12th. He showed decent pass rush and run defense in 2023, but graded out poorly in coverage. A James-trade would need to be a post-June 1 transaction. If traded pre-June 1, James would still cost the Chargers $1.46MM of cap space, while a post-June 1 designation would save the team $12.75MM of cap space.

Those players are all question marks, but Mack and Bosa have been blatantly named. Bosa started his career as one of the league’s most electric pass rushers with 23.0 sacks in his first two years, despite missing four games his rookie year. While he still threatens to put up double-digit sacks each year, he has to stay on the field in order to do so, and he has missed half the season three times in his career, including the most recent two seasons. If his physical shows the potential for a full return to form, he could fetch a high price in trade talks.

Los Angeles will try to sell high on Mack, who had a career year at 32 years old. Mack was a world-beater early in his career, racking up 40.5 sacks and a Defensive Player of the Year award with the Raiders. Though his production dipped a bit after getting traded to Chicago, Mack still made three straight Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams as a Bear. Mack was traded once again to the Chargers in 2022, and after a decent first season in LA, Mack delivered a career-high 17.0 sacks in 2023, his first time delivering double-digit sacks since his first year in Chicago in 2018.

It’s unclear just how much Los Angeles is willing to part with this spring. Clearly, “many veteran players” have been advertised as available, including Mack and Bosa, but it’s hard to say just how many of those high-cap players will be shipped out. There are other ways to try and lower the players’ cap impacts, like restructures to current deals, but the easiest way may be to clear them off your books (for the most part) and get something in return. It will be interesting to see how much the Chargers are willing to give up in order to rebuild around Herbert.

AFC West Rumors: Ross, Broncos, Williams

October 26th, 2023 at 9:59pm CST by Ely Allen

While Chiefs wide receiver Justyn Ross is dealing with some pretty serious issues off the field, his inability to get onto the field before then never made much sense to people. Yet, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, it was his problems on the field that kept him from making more of an impact.

After an incredibly productive freshman and sophomore year at Clemson, injuries and a bit of a downgrade at quarterback would keep Ross from reaching those heights again for the remainder of his college career. Even after those late struggles kept him from being drafted, many believed that a transition to the NFL, coupled with the opportunity to work in an offense with Patrick Mahomes, would result in a return to greatness for the former top-100 recruit.

Ross would spend his rookie year on injured reserve following offseason foot surgery but would finally enter the 2023 season ready to make his NFL debut. Instead, what we’ve seen is a role receiver who plays mostly on special teams while occasionally rotating in on offense.

Breer’s report claims that there are legitimate football issues keeping him off the field. While Ross is a big body at receiver, he’s not very versatile, struggling to create separation with speed or route-running. In an offense that requires its weapons to contribute in several different ways, it becomes less surprising that Ross is only able to find the field in certain situations.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of the AFC West, starting with an update on one of the Chargers‘ top missing weapons:

  • Los Angeles has been tasked with running an effective offense without wide receiver Mike Williams following the veteran receiver’s season-ending ACL tear. While his status for this year is obviously not going to change, Williams underwent a successful surgery yesterday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. This may not provide much solace to fans in 2023, but undergoing surgery at this point sets the expectation that Williams will be fully ready by training camp next year.
  • The Broncos made an alteration to their ownership shares earlier this month, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. With the team’s chief executive officer Greg Penner has been handling day-to-day operations since the Walton-Penner group purchased the organization, the Broncos’ controlling owner Rob Walton transferred a block of his shares to Penner, allowing Penner to take the mantle of controlling owner in addition to CEO. Penner’s four children will also receive an allotment of Walton’s shares in the exchange.
  • Denver cornerback K’Waun Williams suffered a setback from a preseason foot surgery that was reported this week to likely be season-ending. The setback required further surgery, which Williams underwent this past Monday, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette. The procedure on Williams’ left ankle reportedly went “very well” and will require a recovery period of approximately 12 weeks, allowing him to return in time for spring football practice.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/26/23

September 26th, 2023 at 8:12pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

The Chargers officially placed Mike Williams on injured reserve today, opening a roster spot. The front office didn’t take long filling his spot on the depth chart, snagging receiver Simi Fehoko from Pittsburgh’s practice squad. The former fifth-round pick spent the first two seasons of his career with the Cowboys, where he hauled in three catches in 10 games. The Stanford product also had a significant role on special teams during his time in Dallas.

Roy Lopez looked to be entrenched in Houston’s defense for the foreseeable future, with the former sixth-round pick starting 29 of his 33 appearances between 2021 and 2022. However, after collecting only 67 tackles and two sacks across those two seasons, he was waived/injured by the Texans at the end of the preseason. The defensive lineman caught on with Arizona’s practice squad late last week.

Chargers WR Mike Williams Suffers ACL Tear

September 25th, 2023 at 11:30am CST by Adam La Rose

11:30am: An MRI confirmed Williams has torn his ACL, per Rapoport. The news confirms he will be sidelined for the remainder of the campaign, though ESPN’s Adam Schefter notes Williams is expected to be available for the start of training camp in 2024. Given his importance to the Chargers’ offense, however, that point will come as little consolation as the team prepares to move forward without him.

8:47am: The Chargers picked up their first win of the season on Sunday, but their offense suffered a major blow in the process. Wideout Mike Williams left the contest with a knee injury, and it may cost him the remainder of the campaign.

An MRI is scheduled for Monday, but for now the team fears Williams’ knee injury could be season-ending, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (video link). The 28-year-old went down in the third quarter of Los Angeles’ win over Minnesota, and he needed to be carted off the field. That led to concerns a lengthy absence could ensue, and that would certainly be the case if testing were to confirm the worst-case scenario.

Williams is no stranger to injury, having played a full season only once in his seven-year career. He has dealt with back ailments on a number of occasions, including a herniated disc in his rookie campaign and a fracture suffered in Week 18 of last season which kept him out of the Chargers’ wild-card loss. This latest injury is of a different variety, but it will nevertheless be a signficant one if it proves to shut Williams down for the remainder of 2023.

The Clemson alum is currently in the second season of his three-year, $60MM extension. That pact took the place of a potential 2022 franchise tag, and ensured the Chargers would have the tandem of Williams and Keenan Allen intact through 2024. Both wideouts are set to hit free agency at the end of next season, but an extension for either or both could be in order since they are each scheduled to count for more than $32MM against the cap next year.

Williams was off to a good start to the campaign, especially in yesterday’s contest. Allen, too, has had a highly productive first three weeks (posting 402 yards and a pair of touchdowns on a league-leading 32 receptions); the Chargers will need the latter to continue those performances if Williams does indeed miss the remainder of the campaign. 2021 third-rounder Josh Palmer – who enjoyed a career-year in 2022 with 72 catches and 769 yards – will take on a larger role in Williams’ absence.

The same will likely be true of rookie Quentin Johnston. One of four wideouts taken in a four-pick span in the first round of April’s draft, the TCU product entered the league with signficant expectations but plenty of competition for snaps and targets. If Williams is forced to miss signficant time, Johnston (who has played only 48 snaps to date) could find himself in a starter’s role. His ability to shoulder an increased workload could go a long way in keeping the Chargers’ passing offense intact through the remainder of the campaign.

Bolts’ Mike Williams Sustains Back Fracture

January 13th, 2023 at 11:43am CST by Sam Robinson

Brandon Staley‘s criticized decision to play his starters in a meaningless Week 18 game has produced consequences. The Chargers already ruled out Mike Williams for their wild-card game, despite Staley indicating early this week he expected the sixth-year receiver to play. It does not look like the impact wideout would be available in a second-round contest, should the Chargers defeat the Jaguars.

Further testing revealed Williams sustained a fracture in his back, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The injury is likely to sideline Williams for multiple weeks. Williams will not travel with the Chargers to Jacksonville. After Williams had not progressed as the Bolts expected this week, Pelissero reports (via Twitter) a rescan Friday morning revealed a transverse process fracture. A significant injury is not too surprising here, with Williams needing a cart to transport him to the visitor’s locker room last week.

Williams will not require surgery, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports, adding that he should likely be considered done for the season unless the Chargers make a surprising run to Super Bowl LVII. The X-ray on Williams’ back was negative, with Thiry adding the ensuing MRI was as well. MRI No. 2 ended up revealing the fracture.

This is a brutal blow to a Chargers team that perennially battles major injuries. Playing their starters well into the fourth quarter in Week 18, the Bolts did not beat the struggling Broncos and ended the season 10-7. They still secured the AFC’s No. 5 seed, but given that they were locked into that spot regardless of outcome, Staley received an avalanche of criticism. Friday’s news will mark another key chapter into the Bolts’ checkered recent history regarding injuries.

The Chargers re-signed Williams, 28, this offseason, doing well to lock down the former first-round pick before the receiver market exploded. He is attached to a three-year, $60MM deal, but the Clemson product does have a notable injury history — including back trouble. Williams missed the first five games of his Bolts career with a back injury. He suffered a herniated disk in 2017, keeping him out for months ahead of his rookie season.

While that was obviously a long time ago, Williams also missed four games this season due to a high ankle sprain. He returned to action against the Chiefs in November but aggravated the injury and left that game. Williams missed two games after that aggravation. His latest injury could be flashpoint in Staley’s Chargers tenure. Should the Bolts win Saturday, they will likely — with Lamar Jackson almost certainly out for the Ravens, giving the Bengals a clear path to Round 2 and a likely Buffalo trip — face the Chiefs for a third time. Now, it appears they would do so without Williams.

The Bolts are making their first playoff appearance since 2018 — Anthony Lynn‘s second season — and while Staley will receive credit for helping an injury-plagued team bounce back after a midseason swoon had it at 6-6, his seat has been somewhat warm due to the interest Sean Payton is believed to have in this job. Payton, who currently lives in Los Angeles, identified the Bolts job as a potential target months ago. Those rumors have not exactly quieted, Payton’s potential interest in the Broncos position notwithstanding. If the Chargers lose to the Jaguars after Staley played starters for most of a meaningless Denver matchup, his job should probably not be considered safe.

As for the Chargers’ receiving corps, Josh Palmer will be expected to play a bigger role against the Jags. Palmer and return man DeAndre Carter played frequently during Williams and Keenan Allen‘s extended absences this season. Palmer’s 769 receiving yards trailed only Williams (895) this season. Plenty will be on Allen’s shoulders in these playoffs.

Chargers Rule Out Mike Williams Vs. Jaguars

January 13th, 2023 at 11:10am CST by Ely Allen

JANUARY 13: Despite Staley’s expectation Williams would return against the Jaguars, the injury he sustained in Week 18’s meaningless (for seeding purposes) game will cost the Chargers. Staley said Williams could play without practicing this week, but the Bolts HC ruled out the big-play wideout for Saturday night’s game. Williams will remain in Los Angeles to undergo treatment, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Staley drew steady criticism for leaving his starters in the regular-season finale well into the fourth quarter. That decision leading to the team losing Williams for the playoff opener will increase the scrutiny on the second-year HC.

JANUARY 9: The Chargers got a scare on Sunday when leading wide receiver Mike Williams needed to be carted to the locker room in a Week 18 loss to the Broncos that held no playoff implications.

Despite the serious look of the back injury that ailed him, Williams is expected to play this Saturday night in Jacksonville, according to ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry.

Williams, who leads all Chargers receivers with 895 receiving yards, suffered a back injury Sunday that required him to be assisted off the field by trainers and, eventually, to be carted off to the locker room. The injury appeared to affect Williams so much that he required help to get back to the team bus from the locker room. Daniel Popper of The Athletic reported that Williams “could not walk on his own.”

Los Angeles head coach Brandon Staley told reporters that Williams underwent an MRI exam that revealed no fracture or muscle injury. Williams only suffered a contusion, albeit, it appears, a painful one. Regardless, Staley expects that Williams will return to practice this week and should be available against the Jaguars this weekend.

Injury Updates: Williams, Toney, Robinson

November 25th, 2022 at 10:04pm CST by Ely Allen

Injuries continue to plague wide receiver Mike Williams and the Chargers this 2022 season. After making his way back from a three-week absence, during which he missed two games, Williams left the team’s loss to the Chiefs last week after only six offensive snaps. The setback that took him out early in last week’s game will now officially keep him out for another game as Los Angeles has ruled him out for this week’s matchup against the Cardinals.

In Williams’ absence, the team will likely go with the same wide receiver mixture they did when he left last week. Keenan Allen will lead the receiving corps alongside Josh Palmer and DeAndre Carter while also getting some reserve snaps from Michael Bandy.

It was originally expected that Williams would miss four games, after the initial diagnosis of his high ankle sprain. Counting last week as an absence, this week will be his fourth missed game, hopefully giving him the rest he needs to help the Chargers make a playoff push.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the league, starting with another injured wide receiver in the AFC West:

  • Second-year receiver Kadarius Toney has been ruled out for this week’s matchup against the Rams. Toney suffered a hamstring injury in the first half of the team’s win over the Chargers last week. The former first-round pick missed seven games over his rookie season with the Giants, missing five more games due to a Week 2 injury this season before his eventual trade to the Chiefs. This will be Toney’s first missed game as a Chief, a trend that Kansas City fans will hope ends here. The good news is that the team expects JuJu Smith-Schuster to return from a concussion that held him out of last week’s game. Smith-Schuster should start alongside Marquez Valdes-Scantling with Justin Watson and Skyy Moore providing off the bench.
  • Rams starting defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn meniscus, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The stout run-defender had really found a home on the Rams’ line alongside Greg Gaines and Aaron Donald but Los Angeles will need to figure things out without him for the rest of the year. Marquise Copeland‘s name was called last week when Robinson left the game in New Orleans. Michael Hoecht is usually the next name off the bench while Bobby Brown III and Jonah Williams each rotate in for short periods, as well. Copeland is expected to take on Robinson’s role for the remainder of the season, though.

Chargers WRs Keenan Allen, Mike Williams Expected To Play In Week 11

November 20th, 2022 at 11:52am CST by Rory Parks

Sunday could mark the first time this season that Chargers wide receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams start and finish a game together. As Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports, both players were full participants in practice on Friday and are expected to play in the Bolts’ Week 11 matchup with the division-rival Chiefs.

Allen sustained a hamstring injury in the season opener, and he has reaggravated the injury multiple times. He returned for Los Angeles’ Week 7 loss to the Seahawks, though he appeared in just 23 snaps and caught two passes for 11 yards. The hamstring problem flared up during the club’s Week 8 bye, and he has missed the last two contests as a result.

Williams, meanwhile, suffered a high ankle sprain during the above-referenced Seattle matchup and was forced to leave the game early. Like Allen, Williams has been sidelined for the last two games.

When healthy, the Allen-Williams tandem is one of the best WR duos in the league, and their compensation reflects that. In March, Williams signed a three-year, $60MM contract featuring $40MM in guaranteed money, and he was living up to that deal prior to the injury. In seven games, the Clemson product has posted 37 catches for 495 yards, putting him on pace for his second consecutive campaign of 1,100+ yards. Though his 2022 13.4 YPR rate represents a step back from his recent output, his catch percentage has increased from 58.9% in 2021 to 62.7% this year.

Allen signed his $20MM/year deal in September 2020, an accord that made him the second-highest-paid wideout in the league at the time. That marked the second extension the Chargers authorized for Allen since they selected him in the third round of the 2013 draft, and he has largely justified the team’s faith in him. From 2017-21, Allen averaged over 101 receptions and 1,180 yards per season, all of which culminated in Pro Bowl nods. He has never been the home run threat that Williams is, but he is about as reliable as a receiver can be.

Although the 2022 season has been a wash for Allen thus far, a return to his typical form would be a significant development for a Chargers club that is 5-4 and currently just outside the AFC playoff picture. Per Thiry, the team is also set to welcome back right tackle Trey Pipkins III, who missed LA’s Week 10 loss to the 49ers due to a knee injury.

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