Seemingly wanting to add a veteran presence to the wide receiver room alongside youngsters Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston, the LA Chargers opted to bring back Mike Williams, signing the 30-year-old to a one-year contract in the early days of free agency.
Williams, of course, spent seven seasons with the Bolts after they made him the seventh overall pick of the 2017 draft, and he rewarded the franchise with 309 receptions for 4,806 yards and 31 touchdowns before being released last March. He then split the 2024 campaign between the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers, with neither stint resulting in much production.
Williams was seemingly thrilled to be back catching passes from Justin Herbert, but after being placed on the PUP list heading into training camp due to an injury suffered in the spring, he abruptly retired on July 17, which just happened to be the Chargers' first day of practice.
Naturally, this led to all sorts of speculation and rumors about who LA would bring in to replace him, a list that obviously included Keenan Allen. There was talk of trading for Jauan Jennings after his reported spat with the San Francisco 49ers. And there are still other trade options and plenty of unsigned free agents being thrown out there as you read this.
But with the first week of camp complete, the Chargers may have already replaced Williams without making any move at all, as fifth-round rookie KeAndre Lambert-Smith has emerged as a strong candidate to take some of the snaps Williams would have gotten.
KeAndre Lambert-Smith may have already replaced Mike Williams on the Chargers
Second-round pick Tre Harris is naturally expected to produce immediately, but Lambert-Smith seems ready to take on a big role in Year 1 as well, as he's been wildly entertaining and productive over the first few practices.
With prototypical size at 6-foot-1 and 4.37 speed, the Penn State and Auburn alum turned heads all week and made plays left and right, making his defensive teammates look foolish on the perimeter and across the middle as well.
There was one play, in particular, that caught our attention. During 7-on-7 drills in Wednesday's practice, Lambert-Smith was lined up against cornerback Deane Leonard and ran a go route down the left sideline.
Unfortunately, backup quarterback Trey Lance underthrew his deep ball a touch, but Lambert-Smith adjusted, found the football, and made the grab, which brought big applause from those in attendance.
big play dre pic.twitter.com/CdBhKDBFZ3
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) July 23, 2025
But that was just one of many plays the 23-year-old made throughout the week.
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman spoke about his potential new weapon, and he couldn't have sounded more excited.
"He made a couple adjustments today on the ball that you can’t coach," Roman said. "We didn't have a whole lot of time with him [in the spring]. But right now, I'm really fired up about his progress."
Lambert-Smith sat out the majority of spring workouts with an injury, which is what Roman was referencing, but he's clearly healthy now and is giving the coaching staff a lot to think about.