The LA Chargers had to make several hard decisions last spring, including releasing Mike Williams from the final year of his contract for salary-cap purposes. Fast-forward several months and the Chargers might be able to come full circle, bringing Williams back at a much cheaper price.
Williams was in the proverbial New York Jets doghouse after the latest iteration of Monday Night Football. Williams slipped on the Jets' final play on offense, leading to an interception that Aaron Rodgers wasted no time blaming on Williams.
The Jets reacted swiftly and traded for Davante Adams the following morning. The next day, Williams did not practice for personal reasons. It is clear the Pro Bowler will be traded at some point, and with all of this going on, Chargers fans naturally flocked to the idea of reuniting with one of Justin Herbert's former targets.
It has officially become more than a dream idea for Chargers fans. NFL insider Diana Russini reported Thursday morning that the Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New Orleans Saints have all called the Jets to inquire about Williams.
NFL Rumors: Chargers clearly the best fit among teams interested in Mike Williams
The Steelers and Saints are in the same boat as the Chargers in the fact they need receiver help. New Orleans has the best receiver room on paper but a litany of injuries has created a need the Saints are obviously interested in filling for the right price.
As bad as the Steelers wide receiver room is, it still might be better than the Chargers. The Chargers have more backend depth but the Steelers' room is much better at the top thanks to George Pickens. Pittsburgh is already struggling to get Pickens the ball enough, though, and adding Williams won't result in throwing Pickens the ball more.
The Chargers make the most sense for a bevy of reasons. From a pure opportunity and need standpoint, the Chargers are the best fit with a thin wide receiver room that does not have a true X receiver (although DJ Chark Jr. returning from injury will help that).
Williams would give the Chargers the X receiver the offense has not had since he was injured in Week 3 of the 2023 season. He would also give Herbert a passing option who can actually make contested catches, which is not a strength for the Chargers.
From Williams' point of view, the Chargers are by far the best option. Not only does he already have a baked-in rapport with the quarterback but his production ceiling is the highest in Los Angeles.
Williams is hitting free agency again next offseason so he is looking to join a team where he can have a second-half surge to increase his free-agency value. The Chargers are the best team for him to do that (among these three) as they have a much better quarterback than the other teams and more of an opportunity for Williams to produce.
Williams' contract is a nonfactor for the Chargers and the cost of trading for him will be a sixth-round pick at the absolute most. It makes all the sense in the world for the Bolts to get a deal done to reunite with the team's former first-round pick.