Wide receiver Mike Williams is back with the Los Angeles Chargers after a year away. He returns to the team that drafted—and then cut—him after what was, by his own admission, a “terrible” season away.
“I’m just being honest. It was terrible,” Williams said, per ProFootballTalk. “Probably the worst year I’ve had in the league by far. So, yeah, I’m just putting it in the past. That was the past. Trying to make it feel like it didn’t happen for me. But, yeah, just getting back to what I’m used to doing and having fun, that’s my main thing. This is where it all started and I’m excited to be back.”
The Chargers drafted Williams, the 6-foot-4 pass-catcher out of Clemson, with the seventh pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. Over the next seven seasons, the WR rewarded that move by putting up 309 catches for 4,806 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns. However, he also struggled with injuries toward the end of this three-year, $60 million contract, which led to the team deciding to part ways.
His year out of LA was not great.
Williams initially signed with the New York Jets to play with Aaron Rodgers in 2024. That led to just 12 catches on 21 targets over nine games and a public reprimand from the always-prickly QB. That led to a trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which didn’t go all that much better. In nine games, Williams had just 13 targets and nine catches.
Now, Williams returns to the place and the quarterback (Justin Herbert) with which he’s had the most success.
It comes following a season where Herbert has his issues as well. Despite having, by far, the most pass attempts of his career, he also put up the second-lowest passing yards total of his time in the NFL. And, in the playoffs, the team was steamrolled by the Houston Texans.
Williams returning to the Chargers should help Herbert and the team if the WR can stay healthy and rediscover his early-career form and connection with the signal-caller.
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