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Mike Williams Contract Terms
Mike Williams signed a one-year deal worth up to $6 million with the Chargers, according to multiple reports.
Fantasy Impact
Mike Williams, who left the West Coast in 2024 for NYC to team up with Aaron Rodgers, returns to sunny Los Angeles after a brief stay in Pittsburgh, where he caught nine passes from another aging quarterback named Russell Wilson. It's as if the soon-to-be 31-year-old wideout said, "Enough with these old men playing a young man's sport. I am going back to play with a young gun." So, he goes back to play with a familiar face, Justin Herbert. The two have good chemistry, especially when connecting on deep shots down the sidelines.
When Williams was re-introduced to the Chargers organization, it didn't take long to be asked, "Are you recruiting Keenan Allen" back to Cali, too? From a fantasy football standpoint, this is a tricky one. Any time a player returns to a familiar place, it's intriguing. As humans, a familiar place can sometimes bring comfort. However, if you are comfortable with a wideout who averaged only four touchdowns and 686 yards as a Charger, go ahead and draft him in fantasy this year.
To be fair, he did have a couple of good seasons in powder blue, during which he gained over 1,000 yards and came close to scoring double-digit touchdowns.
Williams' biggest hurdle was staying on the field. Too often, he left games early or missed time due to injuries.
Let's add another hurdle. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman love running the ball. Last season, the Chargers threw the ball the sixth-fewest times per game. Coincidentally, they were 29th in offensive plays per game. Could both of these change in 2025? Sure, but it seems unlikely with Harbaugh commanding the ship.
We all know the Jets don't miss Williams, and after the Steelers traded for DK Metcalf, they won't spend much time reminiscing about him making plays for them, either.
As for his new old team? You get the picture. Williams is unlikely to be a reliable contributor to your fantasy squad in his return to Los Angeles this year.
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Fantasy Fallout
Just like his former Georgia Bulldog teammate, Brock Bowers, Ladd McConkey significantly impacted his team as a rookie last year. While many had high expectations for him, few anticipated that McConkey would finish among the top 15 wide receivers.
So, can McConkey build on his rookie season? Not only can he, but he is now the primary target for Justin Herbert. Let's look back at Herbert's first read when he worked with wide receiver Keenan Allen, who can be compared to McConkey regarding usage. During their four years together, Allen averaged 95 receptions per season. Williams finished with an average of 51.5 receptions during that same period, placing him second in receptions. Williams was often injured during his previous stint with the Chargers, which affected those stats.
We must also consider Quentin Johnston, who is still a part of the equation. While it might be amusing, Johnston finished with 55 receptions, similar to the 51.5 receptions we noted earlier for the Chargers' second receiver during those four years. Johnston could also make a significant leap this season. Just look at the difference in his performance from his rookie year to last season.
- 2023: 38 receptions, 431 yards, two touchdowns, and (seemingly) 1 million drops
- 2024: 55 receptions, 711 yards, eight touchdowns, and only five drops.
For the record, Johnston had four drops in 2023, but his 6 percent drop rate was the highest among rookies with at least 50 targets. Whatever the case, Johnston could find himself in the forgotten man category, as Joshua Palmer was in this offense when he was healthy last year.
Stock Watch
Risers
Fallers
Overview
Mike Williams agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth $6 million to return to the Chargers. The 30-year-old wideout spent the first seven years of his NFL career with the team. They selected him with the seventh pick in the 2017 NFL draft out of Clemson. Williams had just two seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards, including 2019, when he led the league with 20.4 yards per reception. He has had some durability issues, tearing an ACL in Week 3 of the 2023 season and missing four games plus the Chargers' playoff loss the season before. He now reunites with quarterback Justin Herbert in a Chargers receivers group that includes Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston.
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