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Why the Chargers Reunited With Mike Williams in Free Agency

The Chargers on Wednesday agreed to terms with Williams, who was a 2017 first-round pick and one of Justin Herbert's favorite targets

MikeWilliams

Hello, old friend.

The Chargers on Wednesday announced they have agreed to terms with Mike Williams in free agency, a move that adds an outside receiver to help Justin Herbert in the passing game.

Perhaps you've heard of Williams. (We're kidding).

A 2017 first-round pick by the Chargers, Williams played the first seven years of his career in powder blue.

He provided plenty of memorable moments and highlight-reel plays, which of course includes the 2018 road win against the Chiefs on Thursday Night Football.

Williams caught 309 passes for 4,806 yards and 31 touchdowns in his previous time with the Bolts.

And now he returns to Los Angeles, where he already has an established rapport with Herbert, who routinely raved about Williams when the two spent four seasons together.

Williams will likely still be his usual jovial self in the locker room. You will be hard-pressed to find a more popular and beloved player within the building in recent years.

But Williams' return is more than about good memories.

He is still 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds and will provide a big-bodied target on the outside for Herbert, something the Bolts offense was missing for parts of the 2024 season.

With Ladd McConkey excelling in the slot as a rookie, the Chargers can now deploy Williams on the outside, where he played roughly 75 percent of his snaps while in powder blue.

The Chargers won't need Williams to carry the offense by himself.

But they now have a proven and trusted target for Herbert on downfield shots, something Williams has thrived at in his career.

Case in point: Williams' 15.5-yard receiving average is the second-highest by any player with at least 250 catches since he entered the NFL in 2017.

Welcome back, Mike Dub.

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