According to Tyler Dragon of USA Today, the Los Angeles Chargers would like to retain impending free-agent wide receiver, Mike Williams.
The Chargers “aren’t going to let Mike Williams go,” according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation. If both sides don’t agree on a long-term extension, the Chargers are prepared to franchise tag the WR.
— Tyler Dragon (@TheTylerDragon) March 4, 2022
Dragon notes that Chargers management plans to use the franchise tag on Williams if the two sides are unable to agree to a long-term extension.
The 27-year-old made $15.68 million last season after the club picked up his fifth-year option.
Williams was a key component in LA’s explosive passing attack, notching career highs in catches (76) and yards (1,146) while adding nine touchdowns. He was also one of the game’s most clutch receivers in 2021, as the former seventh overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft led the league with six game-tying or go-ahead touchdown receptions – the most since Sterling Sharpe in 1989.
Superstar quarterback Justin Herbert often looked Williams’s way in the fourth quarter, with the pair connecting for 432 yards and seven touchdowns in the game’s final stanza.
Should Dragon’s report prove accurate and Williams does indeed return to the team, he will represent a high-upside selection in 2022 fantasy drafts.
FanDuel Sportsbook currently has the Chargers’ Super Bowl odds at +2400.