Jets’ Mike Williams hopes growing as receiver deems himself close to return

Mike Williams still isn’t quite ready just yet.

But he’s close, the new Jets wide receiver declared after practice on Monday.

Williams, who signed a one-year, $10 million deal this offseason, was activated off the physically unable to perform list on Aug. 7 and has been participating in individual drills since.

But he’s yet to join competitive team drills, the next big hurdle in his rehab from a torn left ACL in Week 3 last year with the Chargers.

“He’s progressing well,” head coach Robert Saleh said on Monday. “Right now for him, it’s just continuing to gain confidence. It’s gonna be more of a mental block than anything else. But I think he’s doing well.”

Williams is confident he’ll be cleared for team drills next week.

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“I’m always excited,” Williams said. “This is what we do. I mean, we play football. So whenever you get an opportunity to go out there, you’re itching for it. So I’m excited for the opportunity to get in, get some reps with the QBs and see how far this thing goes.”

The 29-year-old Williams — selected No. 7 overall by the Chargers in the 2017 draft — surpassed 1,000 receiving yards twice in seven years with the team, adding 31 receiving touchdowns during his tenure there as well.

The Jets signed him to be a significant upgrade as their No. 2 wide receiver and partner for star Garrett Wilson.

Playing next to an elite weapon is a role Williams is certainly accustomed to.

“I played with Keenan Allen basically my whole career,” Williams said. “He got a lot of attention. That kind of opened up some things for me. Coming over here, you got Garrett. Everybody knows he’s one of the top receivers in this league. I’m going to get some opportunities coming my way if guys want to double him or however they play it.

“I’m ready for any situation, [I’ve] proven I can do a lot of different things. Just looking forward to the opportunity.”

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With that extra attention on Wilson, who hauled in 178 receptions for 2,145 receiving yards and seven touchdowns his first two seasons in the league, there certainly have been opportunities for other Jets receivers to emerge.

Their problem, though, has just been that none have even come close.

The Jets hoped Allen Lazard would fill that role, signing him to a four-year, $44 million deal last year to reunite quarterback Aaron Rodgers with one of his favorite weapons from the Packers.

But Lazard struggled through a nightmarish first Jets season, recording just 23 catches for 311 yards and one touchdown.

By the end of the season, he was inactive — a healthy scratch — for three games.

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Lazard has had mixed results throughout his second training camp and preseason with the team, and remains a major question mark.

As does the entire Jets receiving corps outside of Wilson.

After Wilson’s 1,042 receiving yards last year, the next highest on the team were tight end Tyler Conklin’s 621 and Breece Hall’s 591.

The next receiver on the list? That would be Lazard. Xavier Gipson figures to see an elevated role this year, and the Jets traded up to the first pick of the third round to draft rookie receiver Malachi Corley .

Williams has now gotten to see his new offense as an onlooker for a few weeks — what does he expect to add?

“I feel like I can make plays,” Williams said. “Whether it’s down the field, between the hashes, outside the numbers — it don’t matter. Just make plays. Be a physical guy in the running game. Just add another element to the offense, another threat.”

Williams has been running the same routes by himself that his teammates have been running on the field and believes he’s got a good handle on the playbook and will be ready once he’s cleared.

He credited Rodgers for keeping him in the loop.

“If I need something, I’ll ask a question,” Williams said. “ ‘This is where I expect you to be when I do this. If I do this signal this is what I expect.’ Just communication, I feel like that’s a huge thing. Keep communicating so when I get out there, I don’t miss a beat.”

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