Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams will not be making a return to California after all, having decided it is time to end his NFL career.

A first-round selection by the Chargers back in 2017, the Clemson product had rejoined the team ahead of training camp in preparation for the 2025 campaign, but informed the front office of his decision just days before preseason activities were to resume.

Williams caught 309 passes for 4,806 yards and 31 touchdowns in his first seven years with the Chargers, but a torn ACL three weeks into the 2023 season not only derailed that campaign, but also his attempts to play for the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. Having rejoined the Chargers in free agency earlier this year, Williams had recently been placed on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list with an undisclosed injury.

Williams’ presence in the locker room will be missed, but he leaves a bigger hole on the field, where his 6’4” presence made him an obvious target for quarterback Justin Herbert, with the pair connecting in some of the Chargers’ biggest moments. As of the time of his announcement, Williams’ retirement leaves second-year receiver Ladd McConkey as WR1, with Quentin Johnston and the much-travelled Jalen Reagor next in line ahead of a ragtag bunch that still includes Brenden Rice, son of Jerry, and assorted rookies from this year’s draft.

“I want what’s best for Mike — he’s always been there for us and we’re going to be there for him,” Herbert told the Chargers official website upon hearing the news. “It’s obviously a tough situation, but I’ve got so much respect for him as a team-mate, as a friend, as a receiver, as a player and the man that he is. Football, at the end of the day, is a game and there’s more to life. I’m just hoping for the best for him.”