After a lackluster start to the 2024 season, multiple reports suggest the New York Jets are considering trading wide receiver Mike Williams in light of their recent acquisition of Davante Adams.
The Jets signed Williams to a one-year, $10 million contract this offseason in the hopes that he would become a focal point of the team’s offense. However, that has not been the case.
Here is a look at Williams’ numbers through the season’s first seven games and where they rank among wide receivers:
- 11 receptions (90th)
- 160 yards (82nd)
- 0 touchdowns
- 45.8 passer rating when targeted (96th out of 101)
Paired with those troubling numbers, it also seems that quarterback Aaron Rodgers has lost all trust in Williams. During the Jets’ Week 5 and Week 6 matchups, Rodgers threw a game-sealing interception intended for Williams.
The first pivotal interception occurred in London when Rodgers aimed for Williams on a critical third down with 49 seconds remaining. Rodgers failed to connect with Williams on a back-shoulder fade, and Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore swooped in to make the pick. After the game, Rodgers acknowledged the error, saying, “I just kind of underthrew it a little bit.”
In the fourth quarter of their Monday Night Football clash against the division-rival Buffalo Bills, Rodgers targeted Williams again on a critical fourth-quarter play. After slipping, Williams allowed Buffalo corner Taron Johnson to intercept the pass.
The day after the game, Rodgers discussed the play in detail during his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” analyzing what went wrong.
“I have a lot of love and respect for Mike,” Rodgers said. “He’s done some nice things for us, but in that play, he wasn’t in the right spot. You can make more of that if you want to, but we should all be held to a standard.”
With Rodgers losing trust in Williams, his involvement in the offense has declined on a weekly basis. Since getting a season-high 5 targets in the Jets’ Week 4 loss to Denver, Williams’ target total has declined each week, all the way down to 2 targets in last week’s loss to Pittsburgh.
In his first game with Adams in the fold, Williams’ snap count decreased significantly. He only played 33% of the Jets’ offensive snaps, his lowest mark since Week 1.
What would the Jets get in return for Williams?
If the Jets decide to trade Williams, they are unlikely to receive much in return.
The only comparable wide receiver deal to occur so far this season involved DeAndre Hopkins, who was traded from the Tennessee Titans to the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday for a conditional fifth-round pick.
Hopkins and Williams have posted similar statistics this season, as Hopkins has 15 receptions for 175 yards and one touchdown. However, Hopkins has enjoyed a far more successful career. He has made five Pro Bowl appearances and amassed 943 receptions for 12,528 yards and 79 touchdowns over 12 seasons, compared to Williams’ 320 receptions for 4,966 yards and 31 touchdowns in eight seasons.
Moreover, last season, wide receivers Van Jefferson, Mecole Hardman, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Chase Claypool were traded for sixth or seventh-round picks.
Considering these comparisons, I believe Williams’ value is to be set at a conditional sixth-round pick.
Should the Jets deal Williams?
Given several factors, trading Williams is far from the best move for the Jets.
First, from a contractual standpoint, dealing Williams would yield less than $1 million in immediate cap relief. With the structure of his deal, which includes void years to minimize the 2024 cap hit, the Jets would still owe him $1.469 million annually through 2028.
Second, despite currently ranking as the fourth wide receiver on the team’s depth chart after the addition of Davante Adams, injuries can change the landscape quickly, and Williams would be next in line to step up. Depth is critical in pursuing a championship, and Williams can provide valuable support despite a challenging start to the season.
Lastly, the return for Williams is simply not enough to justify a trade. A late-round draft pick isn’t worth parting ways with a player who has the potential to make significant contributions throughout the remainder of the season.
