Tag: Chargers Mike Williams

Chargers WR Mike Williams’ injury revealed

Chargers WR Mike Williams is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks.

Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams was ruled out for Saturday’s Wild Card playoff game against the Jaguars on Friday.

Williams has a small, nonsurgical fracture in his back that is expected to sideline him for two to three weeks, according to ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry.

That means barring a trip to the Super Bowl, Williams would be out for the remainder of the playoffs if Los Angeles beats Jacksonville.

Williams’ x-ray and MRI were initially negative, and it was deemed a back contusion. But since it had not progressed, it led to another MRI, resulting in Williams being diagnosed with the fracture.

Williams finished the 2022 season with 63 catches, 895 yards and four touchdowns in 13 games. He missed four games with a high ankle sprain.

With Williams ruled out, Joshua Palmer and DeAndre Carter will be in line to see additional playing time alongside Keenan Allen.

Twitter reacts to Chargers’ Mike Williams being ruled out vs. Jaguars

Brandon Staley is facing backlash after Mike Williams was ruled out.

What if wide receiver Mike Williams hadn’t played in the regular season finale against the Broncos? That’s what most Charger fans are envisioning after Williams was ruled out of the Wild Card round matchup with the Jaguars.

Leading up to the game, head coach Brandon Staley gave glimpses of hope, saying that Williams could play despite not practicing and that he would definitely travel to Jacksonville.

Now, Los Angeles will be without a critical component of its offense in arguably the most important game of the season, and Staley is facing the backlash for playing Williams last weekend.

Here is how the internet reacted when Williams was ruled out:

Chargers HC Brandon Staley provides positive update on Mike Williams

Chargers WR Mike Williams left Sunday’s game against the Broncos with a back injury.

Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams left Sunday’s game against the Broncos with a back injury. It appears he doesn’t have an injury that will impact his availability for Saturday’s game against the Jaguars.

Williams’ x-rays that he had conducted yesterday were negative, and head coach Brandon Staley had another positive update on Monday at his media availability. Staley said that an MRI showed a contusion.

Staley said that he expects Williams to practice this week and that the indication is that he will be able to play in Jacksonville.

Not having Williams on the field would have been a considerable loss, as he’s been a key component in the passing game.

Williams had an ankle injury during the regular season that kept him out for four games and most of the Week 11 matchup with the Chiefs.

The big-bodied wideout amassed 63 catches for 895 yards (14.2 yards per reception) and four touchdowns in 13 games.

Additionally, linebacker Kenneth Murray, who left Sunday’s contest with a stinger in the second quarter, will be able to practice this week.

Chargers vs. Raiders: 4 storylines to follow in Week 13

Here are four important things to watch during the Chargers’ matchup with the Raiders.

Here are four Los Angeles Chargers storylines to watch for during the lead-up to the team’s Week 13 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Watch: Chargers WR Mike Williams toe taps in the end zone vs. Jaguars

Mike Williams doing Mike Williams things.

Mike Williams is keeping things moving for the Chargers.

With Justin Herbert finding DeAndre Carter multiple times to drive Los Angeles into the red zone, the Bolts drove into the red zone for the first time this afternoon.

With 1st-and-10 from the Jaguars’ 15, Herbert locked onto his primary red zone target – Williams.

Williams did what he’s done repeatedly as a Charger, bringing the ball in and getting both toes down in bounds to score LA’s first touchdown of the game.

The Chargers now trail, 13-7.

Watch Williams haul it in here:

Here are details of Chargers WR Mike Williams’ contract extension

Contract details for Los Angeles Chargers WR Mike Williams’ extension and the salary-cap space the team currently has.

The Chargers and Mike Williams agreed to a contract extension to keep the big-bodied wide receiver in Los Angeles for the next three seasons.

Here is what we know about Williams’ new contract:

Williams’ contract is worth $60 million for three years, with $40 million guaranteed, including a $21 million signing bonus.

His signing bonus ($21 million), 2022 salary ($7 million), and 2023 salary ($12 million) make up the fully guaranteed money.

Los Angeles has a potential out in 2024 to save $20 million in cap space with a $7 million dead money charge.

Assuming no voids, his cap hit in 2022 will be worth $14 million, $19 million in 2023, and $27 million in 2024, according to Over The Cap.

After Williams’ new deal, L.A. currently has the fifth-most salary cap space in the NFL ($42.3 million).

One of the potential cap causality is tackle Bryan Bulaga, who if/when he is released, the Chargers would save an additional $10.8 million.

Analysis of Chargers signing WR Mike Williams to contract extension

The Chargers have the big-bodied wideout locked in.

The Chargers signed one of their key pieces on offense to a new deal, inking wide receiver Mike Williams to a three-year extension instead of franchise tagging him.

It is a three-year, $60 million contract, which includes $40 million guaranteed at signing, thus making him tied for the fourth-highest paid receiver with Cowboys’ Amari Cooper.

Also, Williams is now behind Keenan Allen, who signed a four-year extension in 2020 worth $20.25 million in average annual value.

Had Los Angeles placed the tag on him, it would’ve cost them $18.419 million. Now, the team can have a cap hit of much lower in 2022, likely in the range of $13-15 million.

Therefore, it gives them wiggle room to save some money and use it towards re-signing their own, potentially extending safety Derwin James and adding external free agents.

Heading into the season, offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi said this about Williams: “If I were a betting man, I’d bet on nice numbers coming from him on the stat sheet.”

This came after an up-and-down first four seasons, which was primarily a product of injuries that occurred throughout.

Nonetheless, Williams backed up Lombardi’s remarks.

After being relegated to a jump ball specialist, Williams made the most of his new role as the ‘X’ receiver in Lombardi’s system, with an expanded route tree to create more passing windows.

As a result, he produced career-highs with 76 receptions and 1,146 receiving yards, 15.1 yards per reception, while adding nine touchdowns.

Williams constantly came through in the clutch and made big plays along the way, leading the league in most game-tying or go-ahead touchdowns with six. Also, seven of his nine receiving touchdowns came in the fourth quarter.

One of those scores came in the season finale against the Raiders when he became the primary target late down the stretch and caught the touchdown pass as time expired to send the game into overtime.

That was the game that ultimately earned him the bag.

“So I’m thankful we drafted him, I’m thankful he’s here,” general manager Tom Telesco said at his end-of-season presser. But he’s a big part of this football team this year, and he has been in the past as well.”

Ultimately, locking up Williams is about knowing what he brings to the table in his new role, having his big-play and clutch ability and toughness on the field, and most importantly, keeping continuity between him and Justin Herbert.

As it stands, the Chargers have a solid core, with Williams, Keenan Allen, and Josh Palmer heading into 2022. However, the offense needs more speed, which I expect to be addressed in either free agency or the draft.

Report: Chargers, WR Mike Williams agree to contract extension

The Chargers are locking Mike Williams in for the next three years.

The Chargers are surpassing the franchise tag and locking wide receiver Mike Williams to a new contract extension.

According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, the contract is for three years worth $60 million, with $40 million guaranteed at signing.

Had Los Angeles chosen to place the tag on Williams, it would have kept him around for one more season, which would have cost approximately $18.419 million in 2022.

Williams, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft, made $15.68 million on the fifth-year option last season.

Under Joe Lombardi, Williams had a career year with 76 catches for 1,146 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021. Further, he had six game-tying or go-ahead touchdowns, the most in the NFL.

Chargers WR Mike Williams comes through in clutch in win over Steelers

Chargers WR Mike Williams made his presence known in the victory over the Steelers.

For the past four games, Chargers receiver Mike Williams was nowhere to be found.

His presence and production on the field were undoubtedly missed after collecting 31 catches for 471 yards and scoring six touchdowns through the season’s first five games.

Williams hadn’t scored a touchdown since Week 5. However, when the Bolts needed him most, he delivered with a 53-yard catch-and-run touchdown that won Los Angeles the game over the Steelers.

Williams finished the contest with five receptions on six targets.

“That was huge for this team,” Williams said. “Just to be in a hard-fought game like that coming down to the end and to get a [win,] I feel like that’s big for this team. It took the whole team on both sides, and we got it done.”

Quarterback Justin Herbert recalled postgame that he told Williams in the huddle to be ready on a play call that he believed would work well for his receiver.

It was then that Herbert identified the corner blitz, which led to a wide-open Williams.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Herbert relied on the big-bodied receiver in a crucial moment, though.

Herbert has connected with Williams for five separate go-ahead touchdowns in the fourth quarter, which is already the most by any QB-WR duo in a single season in NFL history, per ESPN’s Field Yates.

What’s going on with Chargers WR Mike Williams?

Assessing what could be the cause of Chargers WR Mike Williams’ lack of production the past few weeks.

Early in the season, wide receiver Mike Williams was the Chargers’ most productive pass catcher.

In the first five weeks, Williams had 31 catches, 471 yards, and six touchdowns.

However, the numbers have taken a drastic dip since then.

Over the past four weeks, Williams has only amassed ten catches, 137 yards, and zero touchdowns and averaged just 34.2 receiving yards.

After taking over as the ‘X’ receiver, a vital piece in offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi’s system, Williams ran various routes compared to previous seasons and caught everything thrown his way in the early going.

Now, his presence has appeared to be insubstantial.

You can point to a few reasons as to why Williams has been a non-factor.

First off, Williams has been dealing with some swelling in his knee from earlier this season. While head coach Brandon Staley said the swelling was a “non-factor,” it still could be holding him back. Williams dealt with the injury to the same knee back in 2019.

The next theory could be due to the dropped passes. Williams currently has three, but they have all been gimmes, including what would have been a touchdown against the Vikings. According to Pro Football Focus, Williams’ drop grade is 39.0, ranking 97th among 103 qualifying receivers.

Then, you can direct your attention to Justin Herbert, who has not been at his best in the last three of four games.

Herbert has been off the mark on some of his throws. He has had to resort to the quick passing game to mitigate the holes on the right side of the line. And, there’s been times where Williams was open, but Herbert did not see him, which speaks to some of his struggles post-snap.

For the sake of improving the team’s offensive efficiency and earning a contract extension this upcoming offseason, Williams will need to be more of a factor for both to come to fruition moving forward.