Chargers WR Mike Williams Calls It a Career After Eight Seasons
So, big news in the NFL today—Mike Williams, the talented wide receiver who was once a top-10 draft pick, has officially decided to retire after eight seasons in the league. Yeah, you heard that right. The 30-year-old wideout informed the Chargers this week that he’s hanging up his cleats for good, just months after signing a deal to return to Los Angeles. It’s a bit of a surprising move, especially with the team hoping to have him back in their rotation, but injuries and time seem to have finally taken their toll.
Williams was selected seventh overall in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Chargers, and while his career was filled with electric moments, it was also marred by consistent injuries. Even in his rookie year, he missed the first six games due to a back issue. Over his entire career, he only managed to play a full regular season twice—once in 2018 and again in 2024, when he was traded midseason from the Jets to the Steelers.
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Now, despite those setbacks, Mike Williams made his mark. He finishes with 5,104 receiving yards and 32 touchdowns. He was a legitimate deep threat in his prime—remember that 2019 season? He led the league with 20.4 yards per catch. And let’s not forget that massive 10-touchdown campaign in 2018. At 6'4", with that vertical ability, he could absolutely take over games in the red zone. He had that rare knack for going up and snatching the ball over defenders.
But the injuries just kept coming. A back injury late in 2022, and then an ACL tear in Week 3 of 2023, really affected his explosiveness. Last year, in what ended up being his final season, he split time with the Jets and Steelers and only totaled 198 yards and one touchdown across 18 games. Definitely not the way a player of his caliber wants to go out.
The Chargers had hoped he’d contribute this season—they even placed him on the physically unable to perform list at the start of training camp, thinking it was something minor. Turns out, it wasn’t. And now, with his departure, the Chargers’ wide receiver room gets a whole lot younger. Ladd McConkey is expected to be Herbert’s new go-to guy, and there’s hope that Quentin Johnston will continue to grow into his potential. They’ve also added rookies like Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith. So, the future is bright, but it’s definitely the end of an era.
There are whispers that the team could bring in a veteran to round out the group—names like Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, or Gabe Davis are still floating around in free agency. But one thing’s for sure: Mike Williams left his mark on the game, and his presence on the field, especially in big moments, will be missed. He didn’t just catch passes—he made them unforgettable.
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