The Los Angeles Chargers are cutting ties with longtime No. 2 receiver Mike Williams — for now, the team announced Wednesday. According to CBS Sports’ top NFL insider Jonathan Jonesthe Chargers want to bring him back in a different deal.
The move will allow the Chargers, who were $27 million over the cap at the start of the day Wednesday, to save $20 million on their books. Williams was set to earn a base salary of $17 million and a bonus of $3 million and count for a total of $32.5 million against the cap, but will instead carry a dead cap charge of $12.5 million. dollars.
Williams was a first-round pick in 2017 and served most of his time on the team as the No. 2 pick behind Keenan Allen. Operating primarily as a deep threat complement to Allen, he totaled over 1,000 yards twice between 2019 and 2022. He tore his ACL in the third week of the 2023 season and missed the remainder of the season. ‘year.
The Chargers likely aren’t done making changes, as Allen and Joey Bosa still carry huge hits, while Khalil Mack has already agreed to restructure his contract to stay with the team. according to ESPN. His cap hit will drop significantly from the $38.5 million he was expected to come on the books for, potentially giving the Chargers the opportunity to make some moves in free agency.
Even if they bring back Williams in a new deal, it’s likely they’ll look to bolster their receiving corps as he’s coming off a serious injury, Allen is nearing the end of his career and the choice to 2023 first rounder Quentin Johnston was a major disappointment as a rookie.
Under new head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman, it wouldn’t be surprising if they look for receivers who, like Williams, are bigger and good at blocking, as well as winning on downfield routes .
Let’s take a look at some potential landing spots for Williams.
With Marquise Brown still on the free agent market, the Cardinals are extraordinarily thin at the wide receiver position. They are considering adding one early in the draft, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t also look to add talent in free agency. Williams, at his best, could provide the Cards with a ball-winning perimeter similar to what they had with DeAndre Hopkins. (Hopkins is much more versatile, but Big Mike could replicate that skill set.)
Chicago also appears likely to add receiver help early in the draft, but with Darnell Mooney leaving in free agency, the Bears still need to do more to give their (likely) overall pick quarterback help n #1 alongside DJ Moore. Moore’s versatility, along with Williams’ value as a possession receiver and deep threat, could allow the Bears to go in a number of directions with the type of receiver they target in the draft.
The Lions have a pair of elite options below/above middle in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta. They have a Jameson Williams burner. What they don’t have is what Williams offers: a great ball-winner and contested-catch artist.
It seems unlikely the Chiefs will spend on a wide receiver. They were never really in the mix for Hopkins last year, for example. But if Williams wants to play with the best quarterback in the game, he could give the Chiefs an interesting complement in Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce, providing them with a skill set they haven’t really had over the past couple of years — even as they won back-to-back Super Bowls.
The Pats still remain in the mix for Calvin Ridley, as of this writing, but if they opt out, they could turn their attention to Williams. They desperately need talent at the wide receiver position, whether their players are catching passes from the recently signed Jacoby Brissett or whoever the team selects with the No. 3 overall pick.
The Giants, like the Patriots, really, really need to upgrade their passing corps. Especially with Darren Waller still considering retirement. Brian Daboll and Mike Kafka’s offense took a significant step backwards last season and has already lost a premier pass-catching option, running back Saquon Barkley. If Waller also calls this a career, the closet will be truly barren. Williams can help provide stability.
Assuming Aaron Rodgers spends 2024 playing football and not running for vice president of the United States, the Jets will want to give him more work than he would have had last season. He didn’t play with Rodgers in Green Bay, so the QB himself may not be interested, but the organization should be.
