When the New York Jets signed former Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams during the 2024 offseason, the organization was hoping they were getting a quality No. 2 receiving option behind Garrett Wilson.
Things didn’t work out for either side, though.
Williams lasted just nine games with the Jets while catching 12 passes for 166 yards. The former first-round pick and 1,000-yard receiver was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers after a lackluster two-month stretch with New York.
The Clemson product returned to the Chargers this offseason on a one-year, $6 million deal. He was placed on the PUP list with an undisclosed injury on July 14. Three days later, Williams has called it a career at 30 years old.
Former Jet Mike Williams Retires
There are many reasons why Williams was unable to make much of an impact for the Jets in 2024. Chief among them was the fact that he was recovering from a torn ACL suffered during the prior year. Williams missed most of training camp with New York as he recovered from that injury.
Williams was ready for the Jets’ season opener, and they slowly eased him into the offensive rotation over the first few weeks of the season. He struggled to make an impact, though, and the Jets shipped him away after nine games.
Williams’ retirement comes after an eight-year run with the Chargers, Jets, and Steelers. While he never lived up to the billing of a top-10 overall pick from the 2017 Draft, he did have multiple 1,000-yard seasons.
His retirement is another reminder of how disappointing the 2024 season was for New York and how many free agent pickups were unable to make a positive impact.
