The New York Jets have finally addressed their ailing receiving corps, as they have signed wide receiver Mike Williams to a one-year deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL media.
The contract is worth up to $15 million.
The Jets entered the offseason with a clear need at wide out, as they lacked serious depth behind Garrett Wilson. With Aaron Rodgers returning from a torn Achilles heading into 2024, New York had to fill the hole, and in the early stages of free agency, the Jets were silent on that front.
However, the Los Angeles Chargers released Williams last week, and New York was immediately labeled as a potential landing spot for the veteran.
Sure enough, the Jets pounced.
Williams played in just three games this past season due to a torn ACL. The Chargers cut him because they needed to get below the salary cap before the new league year, and with Williams recovering from a major injury, Los Angeles decided to release him to save $20 million.
The 29-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Clemson, was selected by the Chargers with the seventh overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft.
After an uneventful rookie campaign, Williams showed his big-play ability in his sophomore season, catching 43 passes for 664 yards and 10 touchdowns. He then broke out by hauling in 49 receptions for 1,001 yards and a couple of scores in 2019, good for a terrific average of 20.4 yards per catch.
Williams’ best year, though, came in 2021, when he snared 76 balls for 1,146 yards while reaching the end zone nine times. During his last healthy campaign in 2022, he registered 63 catches for 895 yards and four touchdowns.
We’ll see if the Jets continue to attack their weakness at wide receiver in the NFL Draft next month, especially considering they don’t know how effective Williams will be coming off of a major injury.
But, if Williams is anything like his old self, New York will boast a pretty lethal duo in its aerial attack between Wilson and Williams heading into 2024.
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