Mike Williams
29-Year-Old
Free Agent
Questionable
Injury Knee - ACL
Est. Return 8/1/2024
2023 Receiving Stats
REC
19
YDS
249
TD
1
AVG
13.1
TAR
26
2024 Projections
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Williams exploded early in 2021 but otherwise has been stuck in the good-but-not-great category -- mildly disappointing for someone drafted seventh overall in 2017. Even Keenan Allen's absence for seven games last year wasn't enough to spark Williams for huge numbers, with the Chargers instead throwing a boatload of passes to RB Austin Ekeler. It is possible new OC Kellen Moore helps Williams' cause, especially if he brings the fast-paced approach from Dallas, but it mostly appears Williams just doesn't have the separation skills to draw a huge volume of targets even in a friendly offense. He's always been excellent on jump balls and in the red zone, leaving the crafty route-running underneath to Allen and Ekeler. Injuries have also been an on-and-off issue, with an ankle sprain costing Williams four games last season and a back fracture holding him out from the playoffs. He should have plenty of time to recover before training camp and learn the ins-and-outs of Moore's offense, but Williams is no longer the only show in town when it comes to deep-ball prowess after the Chargers spent their first-round pick on 6-4 wideout Quentin Johnston, who ran a 4.49 at his pro day. While unlikely to outproduce Williams right away, Johnston could take some of the deep looks that went to his veteran teammate in past seasons. Read Past Outlooks
Cut by Chargers
The Chargers will release Williams (knee) on Wednesday with a failed physical designation, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
ANALYSIS
Williams is rehabbing from an ACL tear and was due $20 million in non-guaranteed compensation for 2024, the final season of a three-year extension. The Chargers may have discussed a paycut, extension or trade, but they weren't able to work anything out and now are cutting the 29-year-old wideout loose right around the start of the league year. Williams will become one of the top free agents available, and the timing of his severe knee injury -- which occurred in late September -- gives him a decent chance to be ready for the start of the 2024 campaign.
Williams is rehabbing from an ACL tear and was due $20 million in non-guaranteed compensation for 2024, the final season of a three-year extension. The Chargers may have discussed a paycut, extension or trade, but they weren't able to work anything out and now are cutting the 29-year-old wideout loose right around the start of the league year. Williams will become one of the top free agents available, and the timing of his severe knee injury -- which occurred in late September -- gives him a decent chance to be ready for the start of the 2024 campaign.
NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do Mike Williams' 2023 advanced stats compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank.
The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
Air Yards Per Game
100.0Air Yards Per Snap
1.88% Team Air Yards
6.4%% Team Targets
4.2%Avg Depth of Target
11.5 YdsCatch Rate
73.1%Drop Rate
0.0%Avg Yds After Catch
5.6% Targeted On Route
26.5%Avg Yds Per Route Run
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2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2023 NFL Game Log
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Mike Williams lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
Detailed
Grouped
Side
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2023 Mike Williams Split Stats
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Measurables Review
View College Player Page
How do Mike Williams' measurables compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 4"Weight
218 lbsVertical Jump
32.5 inBroad Jump
121 inBench Press
15 repsHand Length
9.38 inArm Length
33.38 in
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Mike Williams See More
Often injured and now aging, Mike Williams' free agent market so far has turned out somewhat dreary.
A pair of QB trades were overshadowed by the Chargers' decision to ship WR Keenan Allen to the Bears.
Jerry Donabedian breaks down the fantasy winners and losers from Tennessee signing WR Calvin Ridley and the Chargers releasing WR Mike Williams.
Chargers WR Keenan Allen was on track for his best season yet in 2023, but he's now facing a lot of questions ahead of his age-32 campaign in 2024.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
Williams finally appeared to put it all together last year in his second season catching passes
from Justin Herbert. The first four years of Williams' career included a 10-TD season in 2018
(but with only 664 yards) and a 1,001-yard season in 2019 (with only two TDs). Last year,
Williams again provided big plays and touchdowns, and also topped his career high for targets
by 39. On paper, it was a legitimate breakout, placing him at WR9 for standard scoring and
WR12 for PPR. The one problem? Williams averaged 6.2 catches for 94 yards and 1.2 TDs on
10.2 targets the first five weeks, followed by 4.1 catches for 61.4 yards and 0.3 TDs on 7.1
targets in his final 11 games. In other words, he reverted back to his old self after a month, at
least on the stat sheet. It makes for an interesting case as the No. 7 overall pick from the 2017
Draft prepares for Year 6, now signed to a three-year, $60 million extension. There's no question the Chargers' passing game will run through Williams, Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler, and there's not much doubt it'll be one of the better attacks in the league. The question is whether Williams will earn a big piece of that pie, like he did in early 2021, or if he'll spend more time clearing out space for Allen and Ekeler to see short targets.
More Fantasy News
Ahead of schedule in recovery
Williams (knee) said Jan. 8 that he's "slightly ahead" of schedule in his rehab from an ACL tear, Omar Navarro of the Chargers' official site reports.
ANALYSIS
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On track for training camp
Williams underwent surgery Wednesday to repair the torn ACL in his left knee and is expected to be ready for the start of training camp next summer, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
ANALYSIS
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Makes way to injured reserve
The Chargers placed Williams (knee) on injured reserve Tuesday.
ANALYSIS
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Torn ACL confirmed
Williams (knee) was diagnosed with a season-ending ACL injury after undergoing an MRI following Sunday's 28-24 win over the Vikings, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
ANALYSIS
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Scheduled for MRI on knee
Williams is slated to undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the knee injury he suffered in the Chargers' 28-24 win over the Vikings on Sunday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
ANALYSIS
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