The Chargers have some tough decisions to make this offseason regarding whether or not they will be keeping some of their in-house players that are expected to hit the free agency market.
Among the crop is wide receiver Mike Williams.
Williams is coming off arguably his most productive seasons to date, setting career highs with 76 receptions and 1,146 receiving yards. In addition, he added nine touchdown catches in 2021.
Williams recently had a salary of $15.68 million for his fifth-year option and should command north of that, whether that be getting franchise tagged or a long-term commitment.
Should the Chargers tag Williams, it will cost them $19.13 million, according to Over The Cap. The price might be steep, but it would give the team some flexibility to delay a long-term extension until 2023, spend elsewhere and ultimately play the safe route if he doesn’t pan out,
If they want to extend him now, it will likely be around $16-17 million per year. Pro Football Focus projects a four-year, $68 million (17 per year) deal.
You can make an argument for that being too much money for a receiver who may have had a productive season but still had spurts of inconsistency in the middle of it, dealt with dropped passes, and still draws injury concerns.
However, the argument for Williams staying is keeping continuity between him and Justin Herbert, the ascend in his new role, his big-play ability, and he is well-liked as a person among the organization.
With that, we want to hear what you think Los Angeles should do with Williams: Keep him around long-term, have him play on a “prove-it” deal, or let him test free agency.
Vote in the poll below.
